Germany

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Frederick W. Whitridge

Theodore Roosevelt shares with Frederick W. Whitridge his opinion of an article by Owen Wister regarding the United States and the war in Europe. Roosevelt finds the article good, but the conclusion weak, as Roosevelt believes America has no business being politically neutral. He further criticizes President Wilson for not firmly addressing German aggression. Roosevelt notes that a letter he read from Whitridge’s son Arnold Whitridge, who is fighting in the trenches in Europe, is “capital”. Roosevelt sympathizes with the anxiety Whitridge must feel but also wishes his own sons were fighting with Arnold Whitridge.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-07-10

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Frederick Scott Oliver

Theodore Roosevelt compliments Frederick Scott Oliver’s book, Alexander Hamilton. If the United States enters the war, Roosevelt hopes to raise a cavalry regiment similar to the Rough Riders and serve with his four sons. He argues that Great Britain would probably not have entered the war if Germany had respected Belgian neutrality and is distressed at his own country’s failures to defend international rights. Roosevelt has been annoyed at the activity of pacifists. English pacifists should be concerned about defeating Germany and American pacifists should be demanding that the United States follow through on the country’s international obligations. Pacifists are “playing Germany’s game” by demanding peace without regard to the terms of peace. Roosevelt believes a nation must be strong to preserve friendships and respect. He would like the United States and Great Britain to have a “peculiarly close degree of friendship.” Roosevelt is currently out of sympathy with the American public and commands little support.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-07-23

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Cabot Lodge

If it was right to originally sign the international arbitration treaties, then it should now be right to grant Germany’s request to have a commission of inquiry regarding the sinking of the Lusitania. However, President Wilson has succeeded in stalling and the public has forgot. Years of peace propaganda have created an “attitude of sluggishness and timidity.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-06-15

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Dudley Foulke

Theodore Roosevelt agrees with William Dudley Foulke’s letter and confirms Foulke’s understanding of why Roosevelt declined to take part in a peace conference. Roosevelt feels that before the United States participates in a general international peace movement, it must first “attend to the affairs of our own household.” Roosevelt agrees with William Jennings Bryan only on the point of refusing arbitration with Germany.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-06-16

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Arthur Hamilton Lee

Theodore Roosevelt has been impressed with the efficiency of Germany’s industry and military. He is distressed that the United States has not matched European nations in industrial and military matters. Roosevelt blames American leadership for this failure. If he had been president, an immediate stand would have been taken against Germany and the United States would likely now be fighting with Great Britain. Roosevelt is disgusted by American pacifists and President Wilson’s statement that the nation is “too proud to fight.” There should have been a “popular revolt” against Wilson. Roosevelt wishes he and his sons were in trenches and is already planning to raise a “division of mounted riflemen” similar to the Rough Riders. He concludes with updates on several Roosevelt family members.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-06-17

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to J. J. Jusserand

Theodore Roosevelt reminds French Ambassador Jusserand about a meeting they had with former German Ambassador Hermann Speck von Sternburg. Roosevelt says he wrote two copies of terms for France and Germany at the Algeciras Conference, and gave a copy to each of them. Roosevelt would like Jusserand to send Roosevelt a copy of what he wrote. He wishes Jusserand and his wife, Elise Richards Jusserand, would visit them, and says it was nice having George Bakhmeteff and his wife, Mary Beale Bakhemeff, over for lunch.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-06-21

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John H. Parker

Theodore Roosevelt believes Major John Henry Parker could provide a great service by entering Congress, as the public needs a competent civilian to tell them what needs to be done. The peace propaganda of recent years has damaged the country. The average American is “soft” and seeks to avoid “doing anything that needs work or that implies risk.” The public is pleased that the Wilson administration is shirking its duty with Mexico and Germany.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-06-22

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Ladislaus Hengelmuller von Hengervar

Theodore Roosevelt is puzzled by Ladislaus Hengelmuller von Hengervar’s letter. He has been careful not to make any statement hostile towards Austria and cannot understand Hengelmuller’s attitude towards the sinking of the Lusitania. Roosevelt admires German efficiency but finds them ruthless and indifferent to the rights of other people.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-06-23

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Oscar K. Davis

Theodore Roosevelt will not accept the lecture proposition as misapprehensions always arise when he travels abroad to speak. Roosevelt is disgusted with the Wilson administration and its support from the American public. He feels that the public “will always do well or ill largely in proportion to their leadership.” Roosevelt also fears a future conflict with Japan. If the war is deadlocked he feels Japan will seek “tribute” in the form of Hawaii, the Panama Canal, and Alaska. Roosevelt has been heartsick over the sinking of the Lusitania.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-06-23

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lovick Van Bernard Rucker

Theodore Roosevelt is sending a signed book to journalist Lovick Van Bernard Rucker. Roosevelt does not agree with Rucker that President Woodrow Wilson is alright and disagrees with Wilson’s repeated ultimatums, writing that “I do not accept elocution as a substitute for action.” Roosevelt also mentions that he has no plans for a hunting trip to Oregon and California.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-06-23

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Albert Bushnell Hart

Theodore Roosevelt denounces President Wilson’s failure to act and does not believe Wilson is “carrying out a genuine American policy.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-06-01

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Emilio Frers

Theodore Roosevelt discusses with Argentine politician Emilio Frers the actions that the United States should have taken in the early days of World War I regarding Belgian neutrality, German submarine warfare, and British treatment of neutral vessels. Roosevelt feels it would be “a shameful thing” to ignore major offenses but raise a fuss about minor ones.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1916-02-07

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George W. Perkins

Theodore Roosevelt compares the international situation to the environment of some western communities thirty years ago. People who showed themselves helpless and unable to provide their own defense were inevitably taken advantage of. China has been in this position and because China could not fight effectively they have “had to fight again and again.” The Wilson administration has failed to show that the United States will defend itself and is being taken advantage of at sea and in Mexico. Roosevelt believes an aggressive foreign policy would have been much more likely to avoid a future war and that the country would be better off if he were president. Roosevelt compares President Wilson’s response to Germany to a man responding to his wife being slapped by writing notes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1916-04-06

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Hugo Munsterberg

Theodore Roosevelt agrees that good people can “be on exactly opposite sides of every question.” For example, his mother’s family fought for the Confederacy and she was an “unreconstructed rebel to the day of her death.” Roosevelt denies he favors any foreign nation and provides several actions he took while president to support the assertion. He believes that the United States could learn a great deal from German social and industrial life. Roosevelt particularly enjoys the style of German clubs and regrets that he is unlikely to be welcomed by them anymore.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1916-02-08

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to James Stevenson-Hamilton

Theodore Roosevelt responds to a letter from James Stevenson-Hamilton, noting that it came when he was discussing Stevenson-Hamilton’s book with Carl Ethan Akeley and Charles Sheldon. They all agree it “is one of the very best books” they know. Roosevelt does not believe that the United States ought to be pardoned for failing to defend Belgium against Germany. If he had been president, Roosevelt would have taken action regarding Belgium and believes the public would have supported war after the sinking of the Lusitania. His book, Fear God and Take Your Own Part, will soon be published and will cover his views on the war. The conduct of the Turks towards Armenians has been dreadful but, unlike the Germans, the Turks can behave “in civilized fashion in a war with the antagonists they respect.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1916-02-07

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cornelia Bryce Pinchot

The public is not in sympathy with the political views of Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot. Roosevelt has no problem with Pinchot temporarily staying away from politics. He was also disgusted by reports of tourists visiting the war’s front lines and describes their conduct as the “highest note of levity, vulgarity, and callousness.” Roosevelt has been disappointed in American pacifists, such as Jane Addams. They denounce war in terms that equate Belgian resistance with German oppression. He thinks the pacifists have lost sight of “real morality” and that their views are based primarily on “unworthy timidity.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-05-13

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles Fremont Amidon

Theodore Roosevelt wishes a judge of Judge Amidon’s “breadth of view” had presided over his libel suit. More evidence would have been admitted against William Barnes and the jury would probably have been unanimous. Regarding the Lusitania, Roosevelt believes that President Wilson has failed in “performing national and international duty in a world crisis.” Wilson should have acted earlier and the time for thought and words has passed.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-05-29

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Ruth Moore Lee

Theodore Roosevelt encloses several articles he has written about the war. He finds it difficult not to condemn the actions and policies of the Wilson administration. The advance of the allies is “very, very slow” but Roosevelt believes that the war will wear down Germany. He is concerned about the Dardanelles campaign and is unsure about diverting resources from the primary objective. Roosevelt concludes with brief updates on several family members.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-05-29

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Callan O’Laughlin

Theodore Roosevelt does not want to be considered in next spring’s primaries. He hopes that the Republican Party will realize that the Progressive Party platform of 1912 was “mere Abraham Lincolnism” and a decent man will be nominated. Roosevelt believes President Wilson should be protesting against the German sinking of passenger ships. British actions should be ignored until action is taken against the “infinitely worse deeds of the Germans.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-03-31

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Joseph Hodges Choate

Theodore Roosevelt advocates taking immediate and vigorous action in response to the actions of the German submarines.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-04-02