Navies

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Sowden Sims

President Roosevelt tells Lieutenant-Commander Sims that “now and then I feel a little cast down and gloomy about things,” and that receiving letters likes Sims’s does him good. He commends Sims on the progress that has been made in naval accuracy, and says that he does not worry about potential foreign trouble so long as the Navy is well maintained. He was interested in Sims’s comparison of the work the United States Navy is doing with that done by Great Britain, and asks if Sims knows about similar work by Germany or Japan. Roosevelt would like to see an example of the naval target practice at an upcoming review of the fleet.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07-07

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles F. Stokes

President Roosevelt is interested in the clipping Charles F. Stokes mentioned and is surprised Collier’s Weekly employed “such a fakir” as Louis Livingston Seaman. The naval review was successful. He sends his regards to Stokes’s family.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-04

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to James Jeffrey Roche

President Roosevelt will read the book “slowly and painfully, but with genuine interest.” He is particularly interest in the account of the battle of Lissa. Like James Jeffrey Roche, Roosevelt was disappointed with A. T. Mahan’s book about the War of 1812. Roosevelt was glad to get Roche’s letter. He also notes that he is ashamed of the statements of Senator Eugene Hale, especially in light of the fact that he is a Republican party leader and chairman of the Naval Committee.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-03-07

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John C. Spooner

President Roosevelt has gone over “that matter of young Ludlow” with Secretary of the Navy Charles J. Bonaparte, and it is not in his power to do what Senator Spooner requests. He cannot interfere in such cases.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-02-24

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Thomas Collier Platt

President Roosevelt has written to Secretary of the Navy Charles J. Bonaparte saying that he hopes that he can do what Senator Platt wants regarding “young Lang.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-02-26

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt sends Secretary of the Navy Bonaparte an excerpt of a speech from Japanese admiral Heihachirō Tōgō, which he would like inserted in a general order. The speech discusses the importance of maintaining military readiness and keeping soldiers trained and ready for combat at all times.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-02-21

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft

President Roosevelt sends Secretary of the War Taft an excerpt of a speech from Japanese admiral Heihachirō Tōgō, which he would like inserted in a general order. The speech discusses the importance of maintaining military readiness and keeping soldiers trained and ready for combat at all times.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-02-21

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt offers Secretary of the Navy Bonaparte revisions to the General Order regarding the Navy’s medical department.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-01-31

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt believes that the Navy should follow the War Department’s model of issuing general orders to amend regulations. In particular, Roosevelt instructs Secretary of the Navy Bonaparte to prepare a general order regarding the organization of the Navy’s medical department. He also asks after the Navy’s work with Congress, especially with regards to the “building program.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-01-26

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Leonard Wood

President Roosevelt agrees with General Wood’s assessment that it is necessary for the United States to have a navy superior to every other navy in the world if it wants to retain the Philippines. However, it is difficult to get Congress to agree on such matters. Roosevelt believes that Japan will not be a threat to the Philippines at present given the current international politics. Roosevelt also states he would never approve legislation allowing Chinese labor into the United States. Wood’s assessment about legislation for the Philippines amused Roosevelt, because shipping laws of the United States do not apply to the islands.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-01-22

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Albert L. Key

President Roosevelt tells Commander Key that he will do everything he can to push the bill in question. Roosevelt believes in the principle of retirement on a basis of “rank for age,” though it must be accompanied by “some principle of selection.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-12-30

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Sharp Williams

President Roosevelt tells Representative Williams that he will look into “the army matter” at once. He believes that there are already “a good many” southern men at naval stations. Currently there is a “very unusually fine” class of men in the Navy.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-11

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt tells Secretary of the Navy Bonaparte that the Chinese “are not showing a good spirit.” Roosevelt believes that the United States should quickly concentrate as strong a naval force as possible on China’s shore. He asks Bonaparte to go over the matter with Secretary of State Elihu Root and to find out how many vessels can be sent and how soon from Admiral George Albert Converse.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-15

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Richard Bartholdt

President Roosevelt asks Representative Bartholdt for a draft of what he should say about the Hague Conference in his message. He also expresses his “pretty moderate” views on what should be done about the navy. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt asks Secretary of the Navy Bonaparte to inform various people that he is not able to grant their requests. He laments the “awful curse” of paperwork in both the army and the navy, and the tendency bureaucrats have to increase it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Arthur Hamilton Lee

President Roosevelt agreed with almost everything in Arthur Hamilton Lee’s recent letter. He is especially pleased with the treaty of Portsmouth between Russia and Japan and the Anglo-Japanese treaty. He also tells Lee that he believes that the American navy is steadily becoming more efficient.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-21

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Elbert F. Baldwin

President Roosevelt does not want Elbert F. Baldwin to quote him about the navy because he has plans to elaborate the point in his Annual Message this year. Roosevelt also writes Baldwin about a “very interesting” French volume about The Odyssey and the Phoenicians.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-13

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Telegram from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

If Secretary of the Navy Bonaparte agrees, President Roosevelt will direct that the British squadron’s visit be postponed until November, and that they visit Annapolis first before going to New York. Roosevelt further instructs Bonaparte to contact British Ambassador H. Mortimer Durand accordingly.  

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-04

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt believes that “even such a rabbit” as New York City mayor George B. McClellan will be able to “do the decent and courteous thing” following the election regarding the British squadron. In a postscript, he instructs Secretary of the Navy Bonaparte to tell Admiral R. B. Bradford to stop any revolution on Santo Domingo. He also discusses the problem of “the submarine business,” and endorses Bonaparte’s disagreeing with his superior and expert subordinate. However, Roosevelt is concerned that pay discrepancies may cause qualified and desirable men to leave their positions.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-04

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Kentarō Kaneko

President Roosevelt congratulates Baron Kentarō Kaneko on Japan’s naval success.  

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-05-31

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919