Germany. Reichstag

The “Reichstag” runs after “the Kaiser” with a switch and says, “Willyum! Come here!” Meanwhile, President Roosevelt smokes a cigar that puffs out “speeches, statements, letters.” On the ground is a cigarette that is smoking “interview.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

One of the notable features of the 1908 presidential campaign was the participation of Theodore Roosevelt. He was not a candidate. As the incumbent president, tradition and propriety of the time forbade him from making speeches. Politicians like Roosevelt and William Jennings Bryan — who was the Democratic candidate in 1908, opposing the actual Republican candidate, William H. Taft — enjoyed giving stump and railroad-car speeches and were known to deliver twenty or more in a day. But as the president, Roosevelt was restrained.

This memorandum describes how the United States and Germany would approve an arbitration agreement in their respective governments. While neither country is completely comfortable with a formal treaty or alliance, the United States hopes to send notes as a sign of informal friendliness in international relations. Should this approach prove impossible on Germany’s part, the United States will regroup. Instead, provisions may be made to the arbitration agreement of 1904. Additionally, the memorandum suggests a promissory note from the Hague convention of 1907 might arbitrate all their disagreements.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908

President Roosevelt tells Ambassador Sternburg he was very interested in the speech given by Alfred von Tirpitz in which he argued that battleships are the key to sea power. Roosevelt jokes that Senator Eugene Hale should “learn the speech by heart.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-03-03

Ambassador Reid updates President Roosevelt on a number of personal, social, and official matters. In particular, Reid focuses on the fallout of a controversial interview given by Emperor William II of Germany to the British press. The interview has been suppressed in Germany and caused domestic issues for William, but may improve relations with the English. Reid discusses plans to reform the House of Lords, and a shooting outing he hosted where his son Ogden Mills Reid related stories about the presidential campaign in the United States. Reid also intends to give a dinner for Frantz Bille, the retiring Danish minister. Reid writes that everyone was on “pins and needles” waiting for information about foot and mouth disease.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-24

Arthur Hamilton Lee writes to President Roosevelt about the president’s impending retirement and hopes that it will not impact Anglo-American relations significantly when another man takes office. Lee is distressed about how the papers in New York are covering Roosevelt, as if his character is like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He hopes the president continues to shine light in dark places of the securities industry so that scandals will be brought to light. Lee ends his letter requesting that Roosevelt sit for a painter, Fülöp László, for two to three hours and believes that Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt will agree.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-12-13

John St. Loe Strachey relays to President Roosevelt an account of his trip to France and Germany. He and his wife visited Ambassador Charlemagne Tower and his wife in Berlin as well as Ambassador Robert Sanderson McCormick and his wife in Paris. Strachey believes that Chancellor Bernard Fürst von Bülow will be defeated in his reelection bid and that the Emperor was also held in disfavor by the German people. Strachey is concerned about the warlike nature of the Germans. He relays his thoughts on some of the French politicians and theologians whom he met; he found the French people and politicians generally to be pacifistic.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-02-11