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Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer), 1840-1914

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Letter from John Carter Rose to Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from John Carter Rose to Theodore Roosevelt

John Carter Rose thanks President Roosevelt for hosting him. Rose shares with Roosevelt some additional thoughts about the graduated income tax, abolition of child labor, and the eight-hour work day. Rose argues that while all of these policies are good things, Roosevelt needs to be careful about how he messages them so that he does not alienate any of his supporters. Rose also urges caution in Roosevelt’s criticism of judges and his promotion of progressive judges, as both those actions will jar the legal profession. Rose closes by congratulating Roosevelt on his “moderate revolution.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-19

“Superior speed” in battleships

“Superior speed” in battleships

A recent report suggested that improving the speed of battleships was very important. The writer of this article concludes that if advances in this regard were unlimited, it would of course be extremely important; but there is a limit on speed that ships can reach which cannot be easily passed without extreme expense or sacrificing other important qualities.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-03

Letter from William Sowden Sims to Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from William Sowden Sims to Theodore Roosevelt

Lieutenant-Commander Sims addresses recent conclusions A. T. Mahan drew in an article on the battle of the Sea of Japan during the Russo-Japanese War. Sims contends that while Mahan’s conclusions may have been correct given the facts he was working from, the facts were inaccurate. Addressing each argument, Sims refutes Mahan’s arguments prioritizing gun-power over speed, asserting that all-big-gun ships are mistakes, and saying that the size of ships should not greatly increase. Sims illustrates how the converse of each of these would lead to a stronger, more modern navy.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-27

Letter from William S. Cowles to Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from William S. Cowles to Theodore Roosevelt

William S. Cowles writes to President Roosevelt regarding naval preparations. Cowles is in agreement with Captain A. T. Mahan’s warning about the old 74s being handier in the line of battle than any of the 100 gun ships recently built. Cowles notes that the larger ships are less handy than smaller vessels such as the USS Kentucky, USS Kearsarge, USS Alabama, and USS Illinois, which have superior steering capabilities.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-27

Appendix to Memorandum for The President on “Battleships in the Russo-Japanese War”

Appendix to Memorandum for The President on “Battleships in the Russo-Japanese War”

Contrary to the opinions of some observers, the course of battles in the Russo-Japanese War has not shown battleships to be obsolete. While battleships can be vulnerable to torpedo boats, this is already known, and the effectiveness of torpedo boats in the course of the war is likely to be less than was initially anticipated. Nevertheless, both types of vessels are important in the makeup of a navy. A substantial quotation from an article by Captain A. T. Mahan outlines the principles that must be considered when thinking about what sorts of ships a navy consists of.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-27

Letter from John Davis Long to A. T. Mahan

Letter from John Davis Long to A. T. Mahan

Secretary of the Navy Long has received A. T. Mahan’s letter and cannot understand how periodicals can knowingly publish such misstatements. As requested, the letter will be laid before President Roosevelt but Long is confident that the President has no doubts regarding Mahan’s conduct.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-01-17