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President Roosevelt stands at the head of a table at the Hague Peace Conference and greets representatives from different countries. Caption: The President: Gentlemen, thank you for your appearance, which bears the best testimony to the enthusiasm with which you have so far advocated world peace in the interests of the Tsar.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-11-04
President Roosevelt writes to his son Kermit about the difficulties of negotiating peace between Russia and Japan. They wish to conduct the talks in Washington but Roosevelt feels it would be better at the Hague. Roosevelt relates the text of a letter Archie sent him and instructs Kermit to meet him at Bishop Lawrence’s on the 27th.
1905-06-14
A War Lord hands President Roosevelt a gold brick labeled Sole Arbiter (Made in Germany) as Uncle Ed looks on. A sign points the way to The Hague.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-12-28
President Roosevelt returns a draft of the message to the Senate and wonders if Secretary of State Hay thinks it would be worthwhile to alter the last paragraph to clarify a point. Roosevelt also wants to know if all of the treaties are “substantially alike in form.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-12
Theodore Roosevelt is sure that Maynard N. Clement’s years of experience in the Excise Department would be beneficial were he appointed to serve as one of the delegates to the International Congress on Alcoholism at the Hague. However, Roosevelt has made it his policy since leaving the White House not to interfere with official appointments and he would not feel comfortable writing to Secretary of State Knox or Senator Root to try to influence their choice of delegates.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-04-24
President Roosevelt thanks Andrew Carnegie for a clipping of Carnegie’s interview. Roosevelt appreciates Carnegie defending him against George Brinton McClellan Harvey, who recently attacked Roosevelt in the European press, but believes Carnegie attaches more importance to Harvey than Roosevelt does. Roosevelt is more concerned about keeping peace with Japan than with the International Peace Conference underway at The Hague.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-07-15
President Roosevelt discusses several topics with Secretary of State Root. Roosevelt had intended to appoint William Penn Duvall to Quartermaster General, but Secretary of War William H. Taft strongly recommended James Buchanan Aleshire instead. Roosevelt has called upon Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte to investigate the difficulties of Japanese immigrants in San Francisco. Roosevelt has been hearing “howls” over an agreement with Germany. Roosevelt feels Andrew Carnegie’s New York peace conference has weakened the United States’ chances at the International Peace Conference at the Hague, and so has not been following developments there.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-07-02
President Roosevelt has given Andrew Carnegie’s letter to Secretary of State Root, who will take a personal interest in the Hague Conference and do everything he can to achieve results there.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-04-20
President Roosevelt enjoyed his visit with Viscount James Bryce and reminisces about when Bryce stayed at the White House several years prior. Roosevelt believes the question of disarmament is “full of difficulties” and wants to avoid raising “high anticipation as will ensure disappointment” with the upcoming National Arbitration and Peace Congress. He wasn’t impressed with Jamaica Governor James Alexander Swettenham’s message and compares his dealings with him to that of Henry Wolcott Bowen, former Ambassador of Venezuela. Roosevelt is pleased that the Santo Domingo treaty was ratified by Congress and is overall satisfied with the number of other legislative measures he managed to pass.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-28
President Roosevelt agrees with Andrew Carnegie that it is necessary to initiate arbitration between Japan and the United States. However, Roosevelt doubts “any president could have done more to secure peace” than himself. Roosevelt is pleased Carnegie approves of his efforts to establish trade with South America.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-27
President Roosevelt wants Secretary of State Root to inform the British Embassy of the poor journalistic practices of Maurice A. Low, who represents “the very worst type of the yellow journalism.” Roosevelt would like to know whether David Jayne Hill can be appointed delegate to the upcoming Hague Convention.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-09
President Roosevelt wishes Arthur Hamilton Lee, a member of British Parliament, could have lunch with Secretary of State Elihu Root, Secretary of War William H. Taft and Assistant Secretary of State Robert Bacon and they could discuss various foreign affairs.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-13
President Roosevelt informs Ambassador White that Joseph Hodges Choate will not attend the Morocco Conference, which will likely not be important, but will head the U.S. delegation to the Hague Conference.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-10-15
President Roosevelt is disappointed that Joseph Hodges Choate declined the Japanese ambassadorship, although he understands that Choate deserves rest. He is glad to hear that Choate will lead the American delegation to the Hague conference.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-10-10
President Roosevelt tells Carl Schurz that Czar Nicholas II wants to appear to take the initiative for calling the second peace conference at The Hague and would like Roosevelt to allow him to do it. Roosevelt is amused at this turn of events, but happy to allow him to do so, as he wants the conference to be called but does not want the reputation of “professional peacemaker.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-09-18
President Roosevelt tells First Assistant Secretary of State Loomis about a visit from Russian diplomat Baron Rosen, where Rosen stated that Tsar Nicholas II would like to take the lead and get credit for initiating another international peace conference at The Hague. Roosevelt tells Loomis that he is all too happy to allow Nicholas to lead the effort, as he is concerned that after his activities in recent months, people will start to view him as a “professional peace maker.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-09-16
President Roosevelt amusedly tells Secretary of State Root about a visit from Russian diplomat Baron Roman Romanovich Rosen, where Rosen stated that Tsar Nicholas II would like to take the lead and get credit for initiating another international peace conference at The Hague. Roosevelt tells Root that he is all too happy to allow Nicholas to lead the effort, as he is concerned that after his activities in recent months, people will start to believe he cares more about altruistic international affairs than domestic ones.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-09-14
President Roosevelt instructs Ambassador Meyer to inform Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs V. N. Lamzdorf that before receiving any word from Russia regarding holding negotiations at the Hague, he had received a cable from Ambassador Arthur Paul Nicholas Cassini stating that Washington, D.C., would be given preference if Paris was unavailable. After hearing from the Japanese delegation that Washington was acceptable, Roosevelt made the announcement to the public that negotiations were to be held there, and it is impossible to change this at this time. If Count Lamzdorf continues to protest, Roosevelt instructs Meyer to explain the situation directly to Emperor Nicholas II.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-06-16
President Roosevelt hopes the nations at the next Hague Conference will join in framing a general arbitration treaty. Although the nations cannot arbitrate all questions, Roosevelt believes it is a good idea to figure out which questions can be arbitrated and then proceed in such arbitration.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-06-08
President Roosevelt thanks Benjamin Franklin Trueblood for the the copy of the resolutions passed by the American Peace Society.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-10-20