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Secretary of War Taft reports to President Roosevelt on his conversation with John Findley Wallace, chief engineer of the Panama Canal Commission. Taft has asked for Wallace’s immediate resignation, which Wallace has promised to send to Washington. Taft thinks Roosevelt’s response to it is important “as discipline for all others.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-06-25
Elbert F. Baldwin suggests that President Roosevelt is misquoted regarding the Panama Canal locks. Baldwin would like to correctly quote Roosevelt in his editorial and suggests adopting engineer John Findley Wallace’s sea level plan for the locks.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-23
President Roosevelt grins as he stands in a boat labeled “Lock Canal System” while a generic figure labeled “Senate” sits in a large bucket filling with water labeled “Senatorial Kicks.”
History remembers, and credits, Theodore Roosevelt with the building of the Panama Canal. He famously said that he “took” Panama himself, and let Congress debate him, instead of the canal, as construction proceeded. This was a paradigm that he applied to other initiatives throughout his presidency. This sentiment implies what was the case — that work on the canal in all its particulars was controversial, and it remains the case more than a century later.
Theodore Roosevelt thanks John R. Freeman for his nice letter and for the Halliday cartoon that he enclosed. Roosevelt concurs with Freeman’s statements about the Canal and regrets what happened with Stevens. He is also interested in what Freeman has told him about Dr. Benson and bull boats.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-11-18
William Miles reminds Theodore Roosevelt that he wrote to him about a canal lock during his presidency. He has another canal related invention that he asks Roosevelt to help him patent and present to the federal government. Miles does not have money to invest due to his poor health. He supposes that his invention is worth a considerable amount and offers Roosevelt a share of the profits.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-01
The Outlook will publish the Panama article, along with a second article in support of a lock canal. The two articles will be accompanied by an editorial statement. Lawrence F. Abbott hopes that President Roosevelt will give them a possible article about the “Japanese question.” He asks if Roosevelt has a preference as to which of his finished articles he would like to appear in the March 13 issue.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-02-17
Andrew McC. Parker discusses the challenges associated with building a canal across the Isthmus.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-03-26
President Roosevelt maintains he has the power and authority to construct a lock canal across Panama approved by the majority of the Isthmian Canal Commission; and an unnamed committee believes it is unwise to change by legislation the type of canal from a lock canal to a sea-level canal.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905
George W. Davis presents several reasons why the 85-foot plan of three locks-in-series for the Panama Canal should be abandoned, and either the sea level or the 60-foot plan of four single locks should be adopted.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-15
Compilation film revealing the story of Panama Canal construction, which Theodore Roosevelt considered one of his most valuable contributions to foreign affairs. This portion of the film details the need for building the canal, and the early attempts to do so, and includes many still images and maps, in addition to the film clips.
Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound
1927
A large cornucopia labeled “Cold Storage Warehouse” stores a significant amount of farm produce, creating an artificial shortage, in an effort to drive up the price of food in the marketplace. A group of people stand outside the locked door labeled “Closed for Higher Prices,” while, in the background, farm produce is being delivered from both sides for cold storage.
The downside of prosperity, such as was enjoyed during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency, was a byproduct of human nature: sometimes retail prices rose not because of higher demand or better production standards, but because retailers — often the “middlemen” — could manipulate prices.
A Congressional investigation of prices in the marketplace found that the retail prices of the top 30 “necessities of life” rose 19.3 per cent between 1900 and 1907.