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John Callan O’Laughlin asks William Loeb to suggest hunting locations for his friend Medill McCormick. He hopes Loeb will continue writing occasionally. O’Laughlin encloses several articles.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-19
Ambassador Kogoro Takahira writes President Roosevelt, informing him that he has been awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun. Takahira also writes that he has been appointed ambassador to Rome.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-04-03
German Ambassador Sternburg shares military intelligence about Japan with President Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-04-01
Secret Service Chief John E. Wilkie informs William Loeb, President Roosevelt’s secretary, of his contact with Richard H. Taylor, an agent in the Secret Service currently stationed in Honolulu.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-19
British Foreign Secretary Grey updates President Roosevelt about James Bryce’s plans regarding his upcoming trip to Canada and the ongoing conversations about the best position to take at the International Peace Conference. Grey hopes the diplomatic debacle following Jamaican Governor James Alexander Swettenham’s refusal of American help after the Kingston Earthquake is blowing over, as well as the conflict between the Japanese Government and America regarding California. Grey thinks that King Léopold II of Belgium should relinquish control of the Congo, which he believes should pass to the Belgian Government.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-12
Consul Murphy reports to William Loeb a perception arising in France that the United States and Japan may go to war. In a recent meeting with Sir Thomas Barclay, international lawyer, Barclay detailed a conversation he had some time ago with a Japanese businessman. The latter said Japan was looking to “pick a quarrel with” a weaker nation, to gain prestige for Japan, and that Spain would have been a candidate, with control of the Philippines the pretext for contention. Barclay believes that the seizure of the Philippines by the United States delayed that plan, but that Japan still looks to take the Philippines.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-07
Attorney General Bonaparte relays to President Roosevelt the language of the immigration law enabling the President to prevent the Japanese government from issuing passports for immigrants to the continental United States who first travel through other countries or United States territories and the draft executive order. Bonaparte suggests changes to the order to make it conform with the immigration law.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-03-14
Ambassador Francis writes to President Roosevelt to explain that normally he does not conduct newspaper interviews but in this circumstance he felt offering a statement in writing was acceptable. He also hopes Roosevelt will approve of his statement, given to a Viennese newspaper and La Rousse of St. Petersburg, Russia. In the copy of his statement, Francis describes Japan and the United States as good friends, and describes Russia as “their old ally and firm friend.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-18
Rear Admiral Mahan is very worried about reports that claim U. S. Naval ships will be situated in the Pacific. Fearing U. S. forces are vastly inferior to Japan’s, Mahan posits that war with Japan could devolve into a very poor situation for the United States. Should warfare with Japan commence, the United States’ ties to the Philippines and Hawaii might be in danger.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-10
Lyman Abbott is not sure what the United States government can do in the cases of the Armenians or the Congo Free State, but believes there is “a real power” in international public opinion. Abbott believes that giving the Japanese suffrage now would put the control of Hawaii in their hands and doubts the wisdom of it for the same reason he doubts the wisdom of giving political control of the Philippines to the Filipinos. Abbott also gives his opinion that Reed Smoot’s religious beliefs as a Mormon should not exclude him from the Senate, unless his allegiance to the Church is “above” his allegiance to the Constitution.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-08
James F. J. Archibald reports to President Roosevelt on the submarine defense of the Pacific Coast and the Hawaiian Islands. Archibald believes America to be “so far behind” other nations in this area of marine warfare—particularly Great Britain, France, and Japan. Upon visiting principal cities and harbors, he finds the Pacific Coast and Hawaiian Islands in a “deplorably defenseless position” and notes that the people living in these areas feel vulnerable because of the large extent of “oriental labor and immigration.” Whereas guns and mines are not ideal defense weapons because of the foggy weather, Archibald feels the Pacific Coast is prime territory for the use of submarines due to the large harbors, climates, and topography of the region. Archibald details the number of submarines and personnel he believes to be needed at each of four geographic locations–the Puget Sound, the mouth of the Columbia River, the San Francisco Bay, and the San Diego Bay–as well as the costs of these fortifications, and he emphasizes that his opinions are shared by military officers and civilian experts.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-02
This article, published in The Outlook, seeks to present the principles which “should, and eventually will, determine the whole question of the treatment of the Oriental races in this country.” Considering specifically the case of California, where Japanese children were being excluded from public schools, the article highlights three issues: the prerogative of the states to control and make decisions about public schooling, the right of the Federal Government to determine who may enter into the country, and the power of Congress to make naturalization laws to determine who may become a citizen. After explaining these, the article then applies them to the situation in California.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-29
President Roosevelt handled the Bellamy Storer affair exactly as John St. Loe Strachey expected. Strachey hopes that the Americans are able to make a model treaty with the Japanese, as he believes that England may confront similar issues soon. Strachey and his wife are traveling to Berlin to visit friends and he asks for a letter of introduction to Ambassador Charlemagne Tower. Strachey also asks Roosevelt what he thought about his recent article in the Spectator about the proposal to create representative government in India. In a handwritten postscript, Strachey mentions that he received a “capital letter” from General Leonard Wood, and he hopes to meet Wood in the United States.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-31
Secretary of State Root sends President Roosevelt a letter from Francis March Hatch of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Association in which Hatch writes that the Hawaiian Islands should be left out of any effort to exclude Japanese laborers from the United States.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-19
Ambassador Francis tells President Roosevelt he fielded a request from the Neue Freie Presse, for an interview regarding the controversy between the United States and Japan on the tensions in California. Francis encloses what he gave the reporter. He also notes that about 400 guests came to a reception at the American Embassy on Thanksgiving Day, and he sends holiday greetings to the Roosevelts.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-12
President Roosevelt’s previous message was published in full in the Japanese newspapers. He is receiving good press in Japan.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-11
A statement regarding Japanese-U.S. relations based on an interview with Ambassador Charles S. Francis by an editor of the Vienna newspaper, Neue Freie Presse. Francis does not believe that the barring of Japanese children in San Francisco schools will have a negative impact on the friendly relationship between the United States and Japan.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-11
The article praises President Roosevelt’s bravery in advocating on behalf of the Japanese people amidst the persecution they have suffered in California. America can be proud of having such a statesman in leadership.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-10
William Woodville Rockhill sends a confidential message from the Emperor of China to President Roosevelt expressing gratitude for Roosevelt’s proclamation that China’s territorial integrity and sovereignty should be preserved. The Emperor of China hopes that Roosevelt will remember these words and protect the territorial rights of China in Manchuria during the upcoming peace negotiations between Japan and Russia. China will not send a representative to Washington to take part in the negotiations.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-07-05
New Hampshire Secretary of State Pearson has found that Hotel Wentworth, along with the Rockingham, will be able to provide every possible courtesy and convenience to the peace plenipotentiaries. Pearson will visit the Mount Washington Hotel tomorrow and let them know of the change in hotel. New Hampshire’s governor will forward amended invitations to the Russian Ambassador and Japanese Minister.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-07-03