Military readiness

Theodore Roosevelt is proud of Archibald Roosevelt and his three brothers for their military service. Although Roosevelt agrees with Archie’s complaints about inefficiencies in the military, he cautions against being too vocal as it could make Archie’s situation more difficult. Roosevelt is seeing signs that the public is beginning to comprehend the extent of military shortages and inefficiencies. There has been some backlash against Roosevelt’s outspokenness on the war effort and he would like the government to move against him as it would only help carry his message farther. He concludes with updates on Roosevelt family members.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-01-20

Theodore Roosevelt agrees on the injustice of families paying for the “slothful and utterly selfish ambitions of a cold blooded and unprincipled demagogue.” After the war, he intends to write a truthful record of why the country entered the war so late and unprepared. Ethel Roosevelt Derby notes that she sent the letter at Roosevelt’s request even though he was too ill to finish.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-02-08

Theodore Roosevelt has been hospitalized due to complications related to the abscesses and fever he acquired on the Brazilian trip. He is comfortable and receiving “devoted attention.” When it appeared that he may not recover, the public was suddenly concerned about him and the fact that there would be no one left to speak the truth about the military situation. Roosevelt received the draft of Archibald Roosevelt’s letters compiled by Grace Stackpole Lockwood Roosevelt and believes them worthy of publication. He regrets that his illness prevents him from seeing Grace, who is pregnant. Roosevelt wants to see Generals Bliss, Crozier, and Sharpe removed from their positions for being “miracles of incompetency” during the lead up to the war.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-02-15

Collection of correspondence between Theodore Roosevelt and Secretary of War Newton Diehl Baker regarding Roosevelt’s efforts to raise a division of volunteers for military service abroad in light of the conflict in Europe. Baker and Roosevelt have conflicting views on the potential composition of an American expeditionary force and a volunteer division is opposed by Baker and the Wilson administration. Published in Metropolitan Magazine, August 1917.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917

Handwritten essay supporting military readiness and compulsory military service in the war against Germany. Published in Metropolitan Magazine, 1917.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917

Theodore Roosevelt criticizes the government for a lack of military preparedness and for its mobilization failures. This article appeared in The Great Adventure, published in New York in 1918.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918

Draft of a speech with handwritten corrections. Theodore Roosevelt argues for a complete victory over Germany and her allies. Americans must only be fully American. Those who seek to be German and American are traitors. The United States “drifted into war unarmed and helpless” even though all signs indicated that intervention would be necessary. The American military is still not an effective force and all efforts need to be made to speed up the war and introduce a “policy of permanent preparedness.” Roosevelt believes that part of this preparation should be support for small farmers and wage workers.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-03-28

At Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt’s suggestion, Theodore Roosevelt has traveled to Stamford, Connecticut, for two weeks of exercise. The camp is run by Jack Cooper, a former boxer, who is one of the professional athletes that keep one hand in the underworld and one in the wealthy sporting world. Roosevelt received a nice letter from General Duncan regarding Ted Roosevelt and Archie Roosevelt. War preparation continues slowly and Roosevelt is bitter that “ordinary foresight and patriotism” in the country’s leaders could have already ended the war.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-10-15

Theodore Roosevelt encloses one of Flora Whitney’s kind letters so that Quentin Roosevelt can see her kindness towards his parents. Five of the grandchildren are staying at Sagamore Hill. Roosevelt takes the older children to visit the “fascinating pigs” and is often driven to distraction by the babies because he just wants to play with them. Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt is well and Roosevelt will continue to hold down his “second rate job” until his children return from overseas. He is still trying to help the war effort and make things unpleasant for “Hearst and La Follette and the other Huns within our gates.”

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-10-30

A letter from Banner Shull, who had served in the motor company commanded by Quentin Roosevelt, was printed in an Indiana newspaper and was very complimentary of Quentin’s leadership. A copy was sent to Flora Whitney. Theodore Roosevelt has been working to have Tommy Hitchcock transferred to the American aviation service. Roosevelt has been on a three day speaking trip to Cincinnati, Ohio and the army camp at Chillicothe, Ohio. He was once again impressed by the officers and enlisted men but noticed an obvious lack of equipment.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-12-18

Theodore Roosevelt was sorry to hear that Quentin Roosevelt contracted pneumonia and had a melancholy Christmas. At Sagamore Hill, the holiday was enlightened by Richard Derby, Jr., and Edith Roosevelt Derby. Roosevelt is indignant that Ted Roosevelt and Archie Roosevelt have suggested that Quentin is an embusque, a person seeking to avoid military service. He doubts that they were being serious and notes several positive statements that have appeared in print from men that had served with Quentin. Roosevelt encourages Quentin to write steadily to his mother and Flora Whitney. He continues to do nothing; occasionally writing or speaking as poor substitutes for action. Roosevelt hopes that his work will help remedy some of the army’s shortcomings and speed up the war.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-01-18

Theodore Roosevelt updates Richard Derby on his family who are staying at Sagamore Hill. They are all doing well. Roosevelt can do little regarding public affairs but speaks out occasionally when something needs to be said. He feels that the Wilson administration was flanked into “reluctant, dilatory, and too often inefficient, action.” Roosevelt believes that the troops are being sent abroad haphazardly and that General Wood is being sidelined out of spite. However, America’s resources are so vast that intervention will prove decisive despite the “folly” and partisan politics which absorb the Wilson administration.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-06-02

Governor Roosevelt writes about the possibilities of being renominated for Governor of New York or chosen as a vice-presidential candidate. Roosevelt discusses the Second Boer War and the potentially dangerous commonalities between Great Britain’s military preparedness and that of the United States.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1899-12-17

Theodore Roosevelt is greatly concerned about William Sheffield Cowles Jr.’s health and for Anna Roosevelt Cowles given the anxiety she has over her son’s recovery. Roosevelt and his wife, Edith, will meet Anna in New York as soon as she is able to travel there. Roosevelt offers to have his great-nephew “little Joe” Alsop for a visit, and he is eager to show him books about exotic wildlife.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1915-02-28

Minutes of the January 11, 1916, meeting of the Progressive National Committee. The Committee unanimously adopted a statement which roundly criticized President Woodrow Wilson’s “peace-at-any-price doctrine.” It called for military preparedness and proposed that the Republican and Progressive parties unite behind “the same standard-bearer and the same principles” during their June conventions, in order to elect a new leader in the fall election.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1916-01-11

1916 platform of the Progressive Party which emphasizes military readiness and social justice.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1916

Theodore Roosevelt agrees with his sister Anna Roosevelt Cowles about Secretary of the Navy Hilary A. Herbert’s poor address on the Navy and feels Congress does not take war preparedness seriously. The Navy should be increased. Though Republican boss Thomas Collier Platt wants to legislate Roosevelt out of his Police Commissioner job, the legislators are wary of doing so. He recommends reading Brooks Adams’s Civilization and Decay.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1896-03-01

The full title includes: “held under the auspices of the National Security League, Washington, D.C., January 26, 1917. Printed letter to S. Stanwood Menken, Esq., Chairman, Committee on Congress of Constructive Patriotism.” The letter commends the work the Congress is doing and discusses Americanism, preparedness, and citizenship.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site

Creation Date

1917-01-26

Reprint of newspaper editorial exhorting Americans to support their allies in Europe. This version credited to New York Tribune. (Same text appeared in the Kansas City Star, April 20, 1918.)

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site

Creation Date

1918

Cartoon depicts Theodore Roosevelt dressed as a Rough Rider holding a horse labeled “American Legion” as he saluted the First Emergency Reserves. A typed note in the scrapbook says this cartoon is how the name American Legion came to be. Caption: An American Legion of 250,000 men, to act as a reserve army, is being formed. Colonel Roosevelt says he and his four sons will gladly join.

comments and context

Comments and Context

There is no direct link to the concept, in 1915, of an “American Legion” as the name never gained traction with the Plattsburgh Training Camp movement that commenced in 1915; nor was associated with the putative “Roosevelt Division” of volunteers after the declaration of war. Perhaps coincidentally, it was Theodore Roosevelt’s son, a veteran of World War I, who helped found the American Legion that remains in existence as a veterans’ organization. Cartoonist Bushnell was an artist with the Cincinnati newspapers Post and Times-Star; and was syndicated by the Newspaper Enterprise Association.