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Ambassador Griscom writes to Secretary of State Root to discuss rioting in Tokyo in protest of the “humiliating” terms of peace.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-09-06
Kentarō Kaneko passed along President Roosevelt’s message to Baron Komura. Komura states that Russia has refused the Japanese compromise and postponed talks because of some “new event,” likely referring to Russian Prime Minister Sergei Witte’s proposal that Japan keep Sakhalin Island and drop its claims for reparations. Kaneko clarifies that Japan has actually already surrendered half the island of Sakhalin, and demands payment, not indemnity. Kaneko believes this is reasonable and wishes that Roosevelt would explain this to the senator.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-08-23
Kentarō Kaneko encloses a Tokyo newspaper account of the American Friends Association meeting in Tokyo in which a resolution was passed.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-07-17
Ambassador Griscom relays a message from Japan’s foreign minister to Acting Secretary of State Loomis regarding arrangements for a visit to Japan by Secretary of War William H. Taft and Alice Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-07-12
Ambassador Griscom promises President Roosevelt that Griscom and his wife will welcome Alice Roosevelt in Tokyo. In response to a request by Roosevelt for information as to a specific cause of destruction in Russian battleships, Griscom encloses exclusive photographs of the Russian battleship, “Orel,” given to him by the Vice Minister of the Japanese Navy showing damage done by Japanese gunfire.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-07-07
Assistant Secretary of State Peirce sends President Roosevelt a message from Minister to Japan Lloyd Carpenter Griscom in Tokyo. Griscom shares an invitation from the Emperor who welcomes Roosevelt and other guests to his palace.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-07-07
Nicholas Murray Butler sends President Roosevelt a letter from Reynolds in Tokyo which he believes contains interesting suggestions and reflections.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-05-31
The Naval Intelligence Office describes the whereabouts of the Japanese navy and the Russian military forces, noting that both are making efforts to keep this information secret. For example, they are limiting where their military telegrams and mail are sent. The writer also describes several battleships that have been sunk.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-05-20
James Bronson Reynolds reports of his travels in the Philippines, where he believes Filipinos have just complaints regarding liberty, with the powerful taking the spoils. Reynolds also spent time in China and believes there is great opportunity for trade in China, especially in cotton. He applauds setting up a commission or investigator there. Reynolds also writes of Chinese students in Tokyo.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-05-07
Kentarō Kaneko promises to relay to President Roosevelt the full details of the Battle of Tsushima as soon as he receives them.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-05-29
Baron Takahira sends to Assistant Secretary of State Adee, for the information of the United States government, a copy of a telegram from a Japanese diplomat concerning the Russian warships docked in Shanghai.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-08-26
Postcard including a colored photograph of two Japanese women in a tea garden.
In Charles C. Meyers’s own words, “Another view in a tea garden and two of the pretty maidens there.”
Postcard with a colored picture of Ziunisorc Tsunohatsu Tokyo, Japan.
In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “A view in one of the Japanese Parks near Tokyo.”
This postcard shows two Japanese women riding in a rickshaw pulled by several men. Charles C. Myers states that these carts are the principal way of getting around Tokyo, and can be hired for a small amount of money.
In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “This is not a very good picture but represents the principal way of conveyance around the city. This little cart is called the Rick-i-sha and is pulled by a Jap and he will take you all around the city all day for a very small sum of one yen, which equals 50¢. Sometimes there are two or three Japs to a cart of the larger kind that carry two people.”
This postcard shows a view of the welcome arch constructed in Tokyo to celebrate the visit of the Great White Fleet, along with the crowds thronging the sides of the street holding flags. A number of carriages travel down the road. Charles C. Myers specifies that this is one of several such welcome arches that were erected by Tokyo business men.
In Charles C. Myer’s own words, “This is a view of the same archway farther away and also showing a section of the busy part of the city. Tokyo is a city of about 1 1/2 million population but is crowded up so as to take up but little territory. The houses or shacks are small and close together and many of the streets are so narrow that you can stand in the middle of the street and shake hands with a man on either sidewalk.”
This postcard shows a large arch constructed to welcome the sailors of the Great White Fleet. A parade passes underneath the arch while crowds line the sides of the street with American flags. According to Charles C. Myers, the arch was decorated with evergreen branches and illuminated with electric lights.
In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “A great sight of ‘Welcome’ in Tokyo. This great arch was erected by the business men of the city in honor of the visit of the American fleet to Japan.”
This postcard shows Shimbashi Station, one of Tokyo’s major railroad stations, with the large plaza and streets in front of it populated by pedestrians and rickshaws. At the time of the visit of the sailors of the Great White Fleet, many university students were there to meet the sailors and act as guides while practicing their English.
In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “This is the station where we arrive in Tokyo, Shimbashi Station.”
This postcard shows a view of an electric railway line in the suburbs of Tokyo.
In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “This is a view in the suburbs of Tokyo, showing the electric car line that connects the two cities. Both steam and electric railways from Yokohama to Tokyo.”
This postcard shows rickshaws standing on the left and right sides of a wide plaza in front of the Yokohama train station. When the Great White Fleet visited Japan, several tables stood in this plaza serving refreshments to the sailors traveling to Tokyo.
In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “We will now go down to the station at Yokohama and take the train for Tokio [sic], about 2 hours run, and thru [sic] a beautiful country. The Japs are an artistic people and the whole country is as a park and no waste places, every foot of ground is used to some advantage. Passed many rice fields on the way to Tokyo and also passed several school houses. Ours being a special train the school children all knew when when we would be past their school house and at every place school was dismissed and the teacher and children were collected along the track and shouted welcome to us and waved american [sic] flags at us as we passed.”
This specially printed train ticket features the flags of the United States and Japan on its front and back, respectively, and contains photographs of the Tokyo Imperial Palace and Mount Fuji in its interior. The accompanying notice explains that the ticket allows the bearer to ride the Japanese Imperial Government Railway between Yokohama and Tokyo on the fourth day of the United States Fleet visit to Tokyo. An additional typed note explains that these tickets were given to the sailors of the Great White Fleet, and judges the souvenir ticket to be a good piece of art.
In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “On going ashore in Yokohama we were at once given the first souvenir of the visit and it a very beautiful one, the front representing the U.S. Flag with Japanese Greeting and to be used for a railway ticket, issued in honor of the visit of the American fleet to Japan in 1908. The back of the card represents the Japanese flag, while on the interior is beautiful views of Imperial Palace and Mt. Fugi. Accompanying this special ticket is a small printed slip of explanation.”