Japanese

In a letter to Secretary of State Root, President Roosevelt expresses his concern over relations with Japan, specifically the need to check Japanese immigration. Roosevelt vents his frustration with members of the United States Senate who do not appreciate the need to build up the navy and treat the Japanese with respect. Roosevelt cites the need to send the navy’s battleship fleet on a worldwide cruise, and he provides details of his meeting with members of the Japanese diplomatic corps.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1907-07-13

Motohiko Miyasaki describes the flourishing Japanese community of Los Angeles, many of whom are involved in agriculture. Their community includes many successful businesses, and most people are well educated. Overall, Miyasaki characterizes Japanese people as desirable residents for a number of reasons, and emphasizes the warm relationship between Japan and the United States.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-03-21

The Japanese paper Nichi Nichi says that while it believes that the United States is fairly enforcing the immigration law denying citizenship to Japanese as it is written, the enforcement of such a law on the books will be detrimental to relations between the United States and Japan.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-03-25

The report provides demographic information for Japanese passengers traveling from Japan to Hawaii and the mainland United States in May and June 1908. The handwritten numbers indicate figures for May, while the printed numbers are for June.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908

A group of poor Eastern European immigrants and ragged anarchists, dressed in kimonos, pretend to be Japanese immigrants. They are stopped at the border. Caption: Perhaps, if they came in kimonos, the real undesirables might also be kept out.

Comments and Context

The decade of 1900-1910 — encompassing Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency — saw the highest number of immigrant arrivals, a statistic that held until recent times. Unlike earlier waves of immigrants, which were comprised mainly of Irish, Germans, and Scandinavians, this decade hosted eastern and southern Europeans, an arc from Italy to Poland and Russia.

Earlier waves of immigrants largely moved to rural areas on the continent; at this time and for various reasons many of the new arrivals congregated in cities. Economic and nativist reactions occurred, as well as social objections. Some immigrants were of radical dispositions (as in the case of German immigrants in the 1840s, refugees from their revolution) and preached anarchism. The world was concerned about anarchist movements at the time, with many attacks on royalty and prominent figures since the 1880s. In the United States, President McKinley had been assassinated by a committed anarchist in 1901.

A Japanese soldier trains a group of soldiers of various nationalities and ethnicities, including Koreans.

Comments and Context

In 1867 radical reforms were untaken in Japanese society. The Meiji Dynasty was restored to power, and in a rapid-fire attempt to join the world (as Admiral Matthew Perry’s “opening” in 1852 had sought), the country underwent radical social, political, military, and even religious adjustments. For instance, the Shinto faith was recognized as prominent, and Buddhism was downplayed, but Confucianism and especially Christianity were respected. Democratic structures were instituted, and a conscious effort to adopt Western ways took place throughout society. A Japanese version of the Industrial Revolution commenced under Meiji.

A logical extension of these changes was the aggressive and expansionist aspect of Emperor Meiji’s rule (1867-1912) in areas of foreign relations and militarily policies. It can easily be argued that the Japanese decided not to be victims of colonialism and exploitation experienced by other Asian countries; but in any event, the concerns of security and trade encouraged aggressive colonial policies of its own — in Korea, China, and Indo-China. Modeling its military structure after the French, and sending military observers and students to many Western countries, the Japanese were on the march.

Field Marshal Oyama Iwao, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese forces, stands at the top of a hill, holding binoculars, while troops move artillery up the hill behind him. A battle rages in the background.

Comments and Context

Field Marshal Oyama Iwao was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Japanese Army in Manchuria during the Russo-Japanese War. His troops’ overrunning of cities (like Port Arthur) and lands were viewed as massacres, but he swept vast lands and rapidly routed Russian and native forces. Puck characterized the decisive warmaking gifts of General Oyama Iwao as providing the most decisive form of peacemaking.

Subsequent to his honors in the Russo-Japanese War, he served in war cabinets, was elevated to the rank of prince, and travelled extensively. He learned several European languages and built his mansion in Japan to resemble a German castle.

Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, salutes a Japanese admiral on a gunboat. In the background are the ruins of a Russian naval fleet.

Comments and Context

As the flames of battle were extinguished, and news filtered across the globe, the decimation of many Russian warships — a large percentage of the Czar’s fleet — by Japan, surprised observers. Even King Neptune, the mythical god of naval conflict and control, had to pay tribute in the eyes of cartoonist Joseph Keppler.

Russia had rejected Japanese suggestions of dividing hegemonic spheres of influence with Russia over Manchuria and Korea. It was a bad deal in Russian eyes; and the Czar’s rejection was rude, as Tokyo saw it. The Russian fleet was in its port (otherwise a Chinese city, indicating the gaggle of territorial claims in that part of the world) of Port Arthur. The Japanese victory was virtually one-sided.

Mars, the Roman god of war, waits for the establishment of protocols and the Japanese occupation of “Korea” to be completed before the sands in an hourglass shift from “Peace” to “War.” “China” sits quietly on the left. Caption: Mars–Just a little more, and I’ll give that Peace Congress a jolt!

Comments and Context

Largely forgotten by much of the world, under the dust of events like the Russo-Japanese War, Japanese aggression in the 1930s, and World War II’s “Pacific Theater,” is the subject of Pughe’s cartoon. Japan’s unrelenting ambitions to dominate Korea reached an important moment in 1904; a treaty between the two royal empires then on the agenda (in Korea’s hopes) at the Peace Conference then convened at the Hague. The treaty was prosaic in its language, Japan respecting, and by assurances, protecting Korea. Yet it was aggression without arms, blackmail, and the establishment of a de facto protectorate by Tokyo.

Subsequent diplomatic agreements in the decade tightened Japan’s grip, until in 1910 Korea became a virtual colony, a situation that only ended when Japan surrendered to end World War II. Korea was “liberated” (from Japan) but split in two by diplomats under influence of the United States and the Soviet Union, later Communist China.

President Roosevelt tells Secretary of State Hay about Captain John F. Morrison’s assessment of the Japanese army. Morrison spent time with Japanese General Yasukata Oku’s army and observed that American attachés were favored over British attachés and the Russian prisoners—most of whom were wounded—were treated kindly. Morrison was impressed by the training and preparedness of the Japanese army, especially in comparison to the Russian army.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-01-05

President Roosevelt asks Secretary of State Hay to “attend to the cup” and says that he will pay for it because he wants to treat the Japanese correctly. Roosevelt also praises an editorial in the Birmingham News.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-10

Theodore Roosevelt received Masatake Terauchi’s annual report and thinks it “an excellent piece of work.” Roosevelt is glad that the report is published in English and Japanese.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-01-04

If President Roosevelt had known about it in time, he would have advised against The Outlook publishing Philippe Bunau-Varilla’s article. Now he believes there is no reason at all why they should not publish it. Roosevelt is glad that The Outlook will publish his three lectures, and he will send the one about Leo Tolstoy soon. Perhaps he will send an article about the “Japanese question” to be published first.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-02-16

President Roosevelt has sent John Callan O’Laughlin’s letters to Secretary of State Elihu Root. They are particularly valuable in what they say regarding Japan and Hawaii. He notes that it is impossible for him to get Congress to do what he wants. Roosevelt would like Congress to provide for the building of four new battleships and allow the naturalization of the Japanese.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-13

Theodore Roosevelt asks Secretary of Commerce and Labor Straus for statistics regarding how Japanese immigrants are entering the United States from Mexico and Hawaii, other than directly to American shores.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-13

President Roosevelt thanks Baron Kaneko for his concern about Archibald “Archie” B. Roosevelt’s illness. He explains why the United States wishes to restrict members of the Japanese working class from migrating to the United States. Roosevelt believes that this will ease tensions between both countries. The new commission on immigration might also consider restricting immigration from Europe.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-05-23

President Roosevelt has read over Lieutenant General Hamilton’s two volumes again and complements Hamilton on his description of the Japanese army. Roosevelt describes a conversation he had with Tamemoto Kuroki about the superiority of guns over bayonets. Roosevelt notes that Kuroki and Kuroki’s aide like Hamilton’s work. He gives his impression of Kuroki. Roosevelt sends pictures of him jumping a horse named Roswell.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-05-15

President Roosevelt comments on General Hamilton’s two-volume publication, A Staff Officer’s Scrap-book during the Russo-Japanese War. Roosevelt wishes he could see Hamilton to discuss the book. He expresses particular interest in Hamilton’s description of a gruesome play performed by Japanese soldiers. He wonders how industrialization in Japan will impact “the qualities which give them such an extraordinary soldierly capacity.” He notes that Kuroki will be visiting and that he will speak to Kuroki Tamemoto about Hamilton’s book. Roosevelt comments that he is pleased that the ships are doing well at target practice and that the fleet is satisfactory.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-05-08

President Roosevelt informs Governor Carter that he is preparing the district attorney matter and is happy with Carter’s handling of the “Japanese business.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-04-08

President Roosevelt explains that potential California legislation on the exclusion of Japanese laborers would hamper his efforts to achieve Japanese exclusion on a national level through cooperation with Japan.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-03-12