Italy

John W. Simpson recommends Frederick W. Whitridge for a diplomatic position in Germany or Italy. Simpson recommends Whitridge based on his good social and cultural skills, his familiarity with Europe, and the ease with which he communicates and negotiates with others. Whitridge would “support the position with dignity” and already has contacts with Germans and Italians.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-29

President Roosevelt uses a “Peace of Portsmouth” axe to cut down the big stick labeled “war: partisan exaggeration of Roosevelt’s strenuousity.” “China,” “Germany,” “England,” “Italy,” and “France” all look on.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-04

Arnold White writes about the international situation in Europe, addressing first Russia’s desire for a warm water port, and then his impression of Germany’s goals with regards to Europe. Germany, White says, is the only nation with something to gain from a European war, and that the push for war is coming from the Jewish influence in Germany. With President Roosevelt’s election and friendship towards Germany, the United States has been removed as a potential deterrent toward German aggression. White ends with a prediction that if war happens, it will come through German aggression towards the Netherlands moving towards a collision with Great Britain, and he admonishes his reader that Germany must be watched.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-04

Article discusses Italian-Turkish war, arbitration, and Oscar Strauss.

Collection

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

Creation Date

1911-10-14

Theodore Roosevelt writes to his sister about his and Edith’s trip through Italy. Roosevelt admires the landscape and the towns and mentions how his lack of knowledge of Italian has caused some trouble.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1886-12-20

Theodore Roosevelt writes to his sister about his activities in Italy with Edith. He mentions his exercise regimen, articles he has written for Century Magazine, and future plans to spend the rest of the summer at Sagamore Hill. Roosevelt also mentions that he wishes his ranch had been more successful.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1887-01-22

The Russian Bear eyes a house of cards. Each card is labeled a different country, “England, France, Germany, Japan, U.S., Austria, China, Italy, [and] Turkey”, and the king on each card bears some facial characteristics of the ruler of the country, including Uncle Sam. A dove of “Peace” has landed on top of the cards. The bear’s right paw and claws are touching the “Japan” card.

comments and context

Comments and Context

In this cartoon, remarkable for its cleverness and caricatural details, Joseph Keppler illustrates the threats to peace in daily news, and the larger situation in international relations. The “house of cards” is dispositive in two ways: the cartoonist has pictured the major nations of the world, and their leaders, when challenges to the world order arose; and the meaning of the phrase — a precarious situation — is perfectly portrayed.

Cipriano Castro, President of Venezuela, hides behind a large rock, hoping that the large claw-type animal trap labeled “Monroe Doctrine” he set will prove effective in preventing the British Lion, a cat labeled “Italy” with the face of Victor Emmanuel III, King of Italy, and a boar labeled “Germany” with the face of William II, Emperor of Germany, from coming ashore to demand payment of international debts.

comments and context

Comments and Context

The immediate context of this cartoon is the blockade of Venezuelan ports announced by the principal creditor nations England, Germany, and Italy. President Cipriano Castro arrogantly ignored debts owed by the Caracas government and Venezuelan banks and companies; in February 1902 those powers declared a blockade as a first step to extract debt payments. An international arbitration court at the Hague was suggested by President Roosevelt as a venue to find a solution, but it decreed that as principal creditors, those three powers had a preferential claim. However other nations, including the United States, were also owed money. As the cartoon shows, the European states might have hesitated because of the Monroe Doctrine, but Roosevelt made that a moot point one year after this cartoon by establishing the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine: that in instances like this, the United States would act both as protector against foreign presence in the Western Hemisphere, and a manager to mediate, collect debts, etc., in disputes.

A bull dog labeled “England,” a whippet (or greyhound) labeled “Italy,” and a dachshund labeled “Germany” gather around a dish labeled “Preferred Claims” full of food labeled “Venezuela.” Sitting above them on a fence are four cats labeled “Belgium, Spain, France, [and] Holland” with the fur on their backs raised. Both cats and dogs are seeking payment from Venezuela for its international debts.

comments and context

Comments and Context

This cover cartoon expands upon Joseph Keppler’s cartoon of the previous week in Puck, which showed only England, Germany, and Italy as animals hungry to collect financial claims again the outlaw government in Venezuela. Here, Pughe adds four cats, on the fence, howling for their own just claims. The only nation both cartoons ignored was the United States, which had its own claims. Cartoons on the same topic in the weekly magazine indicate what a hot topic the Venezuelan debt crisis was, and it led to President Roosevelt formulating the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.

The British Lion runs on a path toward “Pretoria” while four figures representing Russia, France, Germany, and Italy hide. At the time of this cartoon, the British Empire stepped up its campaign to suppress rebellion of its colonial rule in South Africa.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Pughe’s cartoon could illustrate the admonition against “fishing in troubled waters.” By 1900 most of the globe had been carved up by colonial powers or controlled by spheres of influence. South Africa was recalcitrant, a thorny problem for the British who regarded the Horn of Africa with special importance. Only 15 years before this cartoon’s publication, Germany had gobbled up lands, largely comprising the present Tanzania, and established German East Africa, and British colonial fears were heightened. The cartoon suggests that Great Britain simultaneously doubled its resolve to quash the Boer Rebellion, and kept rival powers from intervening themselves.

President Roosevelt is seen frantically looking at the claims of allies, international law, and various foreign language dictionaries as various countries clamor in more demands from doors, windows, and walls.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-12-23

President Roosevelt provides Secretary of State Hay with a list of appointments in the diplomatic and consular service after March 4, 1905. Roosevelt includes a handwritten note, “All this is tentative.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-17

Four members of the Navy and one Marine have been arrested in Italy while on shore leave. Ambassador Meyer is attempting to acquire the court report and has sent an appeal to Rome.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-04-30

Theodore Roosevelt agrees with Serbian Minister Michailovitch’s opinion regarding the importance of July 28, 1914, and argues that beyond simply being the day Germany and its ally Austria-Hungary began the great war, July 28 further raised the question of how the world should deal with the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Roosevelt feels there can be no peace unless the Austro-Hungarian Empire is broken up and its constituent nationalities are given their own states, and mentions also that the Ottoman empire should be similarly divided. The United States should do what it can to assist in this effort by encouraging the revolt of subject peoples and pledging to protect them. Future peace depends on Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey being soundly defeated, and Roosevelt believes Europe should be remade “on the basis of the principle of nationalities.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1918-07-11

Theodore Roosevelt is disappointed William Astor Chanler is living abroad. He is interested in Chanler’s remarks about the Italians but does not make suggestions to the administration on foreign policy. Roosevelt comments on the Italian invasion of Tripoli.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-11-21

Theodore Roosevelt asks Cecil A. Grenfell if he can have lunch next Friday at his office. While Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt is doing better, he does not want to entertain at Sagamore Hill. He returns the letter from Grenfell’s brother regarding the French maneuvers. Roosevelt comments on the German use of the cavalry during their maneuvers and admits their artillery is immeasurably superior. He recently had a report on Germany’s use of airplanes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-11-04

Theodore Roosevelt thanks Carter H. Fitz-Hugh for sharing the editorial. He comments on arbitration treaties. Roosevelt believes the current relations between England and the United States make war unlikely. However, the current actions of other countries, such as Italy, in foreign regions show that treaties are worthless if they are not backed by force. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-31

Theodore Roosevelt expresses his thanks, through Italian Ambassador Cusani-Confalonieri, to King Victor Emmanuel III and the people of Italy. Roosevelt maintains he was merely carrying out the desires of the American people in responding to the calamity.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-06-19

President Roosevelt clarifies for Ambassador Reid that on his African safari, he intends only to shoot specimens for the National Museum, with the exception of half a dozen trophies for himself, if he is able to shoot extras under his license. He discusses at length is plans for traveling through Europe following the safari. He accepts that he will have to see various heads of state in the countries he visits, and informs Reid that he will be delivering the Romanes lecture at Oxford. Roosevelt approves of the Japanese plan to postpone their international exposition until 1917 and wants to help them “put a good face” on the situation. He agrees with Reid’s assessment of various incidents at the Olympic games. However, Roosevelt stresses that all public statements about the Olympics should be positive.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-20

President Roosevelt outlines his travel plans and schedule for his upcoming safari in Africa for Ambassador Reid. He wants Reid to make clear that he only intends to shoot specimens for the Smithsonian Institution, and perhaps a few extra trophies for himself and his son Kermit. He does not want special treatment in any of the countries he will pass through, although he would appreciate any game reserves being opened for him if possible. If it is not possible for him to travel through Europe without fanfare during the months following the safari, Roosevelt will likely return straight home to America. If he does travel through Europe with his family, he would like the American diplomats to make it clear that he is traveling as a former president and does not want to meet heads of governments.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-20