Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft
President Roosevelt has received the letters from both Secretary of War Taft and W. Leon Pepperman of the Office of Administration of Isthmian Canal Affairs regarding the use of Chinese labor for the construction of the canal. Roosevelt emphasizes that his primary belief is that the canal must be constructed, and that therefore that means getting whatever laborers necessary, limited only by “the law of the land and the requirements of morality.” Roosevelt believes this first contract for Chinese laborers does not need to be bid on, as it is only for a small number of laborers and is “in the nature of an experiment,” but if there need to be further contracts then such contracts should be advertised for bids.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1906-07-27
