Your TR Source
President Roosevelt was surprised at the opposition to the Panama Canal from the South and Pacific slope. He believes the canal will be a great accomplishment. Roosevelt believes Senators Cockrell and McCreary will support the treaty.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-12-29
President Roosevelt is determined to approach the task of the presidency “with all the strength he has” and to run a transparent administration. Presently, he is most concerned with the Isthmian Canal Treaty.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1901-11-03
Senator Lodge is submitting an article to The Outlook on the last one hundred years of peace between the United States and Great Britain. Lodge fears a public debate on the arbitration treaties as it could damage relations with several foreign nations. He read in the newspaper that Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt was ill and hopes it is not serious.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-01-08
The Taft administration is prepared to accept Lodge’s resolution that will allow the Senate to “pass on the arbitrability of a question.” Senator Lodge is pleased with providing the Senate with this level of control even though it “makes the treaties of little value.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-01-10
Senator Lodge went through Senator Crane in order to impress upon the Taft administration the dangers of an open debate on the arbitration treaties. Lodge believes that his resolution will be suitable as it is of a general nature and will allow the treaty making powers of the United States to reject any question they choose.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-01-11
Senator Lodge’s amendment to the arbitration treaties will allow the United States to ignore any question it does not want to arbitrate as if the treaty did not exist. It is predicated upon the assumption that the president and Senate would never submit certain issues to arbitration, such as the Monroe Doctrine.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-01-13
Senator Lodges’ resolution will leave the arbitration treaties with “nothing but language and machinery.” He tried and failed to prevent public debate on the treaties. He also supports Theodore Roosevelt’s silence in the face of statements from the Taft administration.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-01-17
Senator Lodge enjoyed Theodore Roosevelt’s letter to Mr. Bloomer. He has been receiving “extraordinary” letters regarding the arbitration treaties–sentimental letters from clergy and self-interested letters from businessmen. Lodge does not expect the treaties to pass without some sort of ratifying resolution. The difficulties with the treaties started with a “loose speech” from President Taft followed by a “loose treaty” crafted without consulting the Senate. Taft then blamed the Senate, leading to division within the Republican Party and damage to the cause of peace.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-12-21
Dean Rogers of Yale Law School has been speaking out on the Russian arbitration treaty and described the Senate as silly. In reality, the Senate saved the situation for President Taft because Taft would have had to veto the House resolution. The clergy and peace associations have frightened several Senators but Senator Lodge expects that a ratification resolution will be part of the treaty.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-12-27
Senator Lodge requests that Theodore Roosevelt read yesterday’s debate on the Russian arbitration resolution, particularly his own comments. He relates several amusing incidents that took place during the Senate debate. The entire problem could have been avoided months ago with better leadership from the Taft administration.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-12-20
Seth Low offers his opinion on how to craft the arbitration treaty in order to protect some issues from arbitration. He agrees that the best option is to remove the last clause of Article 3. However, Low also suggests that each country have the right to reject an arbitration decision and that the propriety of their rejection be judged by the international community. A similar plan was used by the faculty and trustees of Columbia University.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-29
William Jennings Bryan would be pleased to see a “meeting of the parliaments of the world in the United States.” He hopes that the ratification of the arbitration treaties now pending will lead to more treaties to cement the “bonds of peace.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-13
J. Lewis Parks thanks Theodore Roosevelt for the letter. While he knew Roosevelt would agree with him about the arbitration treaties, he did not expect Roosevelt to take time to respond. He comments on an anecdote about Evarts concerning the regard for human life. Parks hopes the Senate will not pass the treaties as currently written.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-13
William Jennings Bryan has read Theodore Roosevelt’s editorial on the arbitration treaty and supports the idea of an investigatory commission. Bryan believes the treaty can be passed with such an amendment and offers to act as peacemaker between the two sides. Bryan also urges Roosevelt to publicly support the direct election of senators.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-04
Senator Lodge agrees that the Russian treaty cannot continue unless Russia abides by the terms. Arbitration could strengthen the American position but this would only be an interpretation and the Russians would not change their position. Lodge met with a delegation of Jewish Americans who were reasonable and appreciated Theodore Roosevelt’s efforts. They simply believed that arbitration could never be successful. The campaign in Massachusetts appears promising and Lodge is relieved to hear of Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt’s condition.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-10-31
Senator Lodge was pleased with Theodore Roosevelt’s article on the arbitration treaties. Lodge is troubled by the thought that there are issues which the United States will never agree to arbitrate but that this fact is not present in the treaty. The public is not grasping this dichotomy and the portrayal of the treaty as a “peace” treaty sheds the Senate’s opposition in a poor light. The Outlook‘s claim that issues such as immigration or the Monroe Doctrine will never be submitted for arbitration misses the point. If the United States agrees to the current terms of the treaty, these issues can be arbitrated and the decision-making authority will be outside the “treaty-making authorities of the United States.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-09-09
Senator Lodge agrees that there are dangers with the arbitration treaty. President Taft claims that the treaty will be ineffective without Clause 3 of Article 3 but also states that certain matters cannot be arbitrated, thus ignoring Clause 3. Silas McBee of The Churchman has come out in defense of the Senate’s position and Lodge has sent a letter for McBee to publish. He was pleased to receive a copy of The Outlook with his article and read Theodore Roosevelt’s Dante article with great interest.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-09-01
A. T. Mahan cannot write about the arbitration treaties for The Outlook as he has a contract with The North American for a series of articles. He is also busy writing a book on naval strategy. The London Times is a better source of opinions on the treaties than the New York Times.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-08-25
Senator Lodge believes that amending the arbitration treaty is preferable to the resolution suggested by Senator Root that would require Senate ratification of any arbitration. Such a resolution would make it obvious that the United States would not accept arbitration on some issues, which is exactly what President Taft said in a recent speech. Lodge does not want a treaty that claims all issues will be arbitrated when it is clear that the United States will not follow such a treaty on several issues. Root agrees with Lodge’s views but is in an awkward position as he negotiated previous arbitration treaties and does not want to appear to be amending a treaty created by his successor.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-08-24
Senator Lodge will be sending a copy of the minority report written by Senator Root regarding the arbitration treaties. Lodge’s and Root’s views on arbitration differ slightly but they both seek to protect American sovereignty by providing a means for certain questions to avoid arbitration, although through different clauses and resolutions. He is concerned that if President Taft campaigns on the arbitration issue it will raise debates in the Senate that will damage the nation’s foreign relations.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-08-22