Peace movements

Petition by Lucretia Mott Children’s Peace Band

Blank petition including both a protest by the Lucretia Mott Children’s Peace Band, and room for signatures. The organization protests against a white-bordered flag of the United States being used as a Peace Flag, and asks that if the national government authorize a Peace Flag, it create one that all nations “would in time accept as International and Universal.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-03-10

List of American Members of the League for International Conciliation

List of unknown origin titled “American Members of the League for International Conciliation,” enclosed with a letter created by Nobel Prize winner Nicholas Murray Butler. Andrew Carnegie and Andrew D. White are listed as “Honorary Presidents,” 12 people are listed under “Council of Direction,” and 46 people are listed as “Members.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-05

Excerpt from “Proposals for amusing posterity”

A quoted passage from Charles Dickens’s “Proposals for Amusing Posterity” muses about the possibility of combative people forming a “Society for Declaiming about Peace,” where by highlighting the horrors of war they convince their own nation to arm themselves in order to prevent being attacked. Dickens says that this would be “the very best joke we could hope to have in our whole Complete Jest-Book for Posterity.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-02

XV Congres Universel de la Paix

The fifteenth Universal Peace Conference will be meeting in Milan from September 15, 1906 to September 22. There is a great deal of hope for the promise of peace in the wake of the Russo-Japanese War and the the Algeciras Conference, as well as the Third Pan-American Conference. Nations are no longer as belligerent towards each other as they once were, leading to an increase in trade, which in turn shows the necessity for international cooperation. Many nations recognize the need for peace, led by the recent British proposal for an international reduction of armaments.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Susan Dexter Dalton Cooley

Theodore Roosevelt writes Susan Dexter Dalton Cooley to express his thoughts on an article by G. Lowes Dickinson. Roosevelt believes that the way Dickinson is trying to develop an international league will not work. Such a league must be based on military force. To refuse to fight results in less peace, not more. The United States should have offered help to Belgium to maintain peace. He does agree countries should come together on account of their race or desire to unite.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1914-12-02

Letter to Gifford Pinchot

Gifford Pinchot is advised to look at Theodore Roosevelt’s editorials in the Kansas City Star and Metropolitan Magazine about the League of Nations. Roosevelt was in favor of the League as an addition, rather than a substitute, for the prepared military strength of the United States.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1919-01-21

Letter from Secretary of Theodore Roosevelt to John Temple Graves

On behalf of Theodore Roosevelt, his secretary acknowledges receipt of the invitation to the Citizens Peace Banquet from John Temple Graves, but states that Roosevelt has already sent a letter to Millard J. Bloomer on the subject. He notes that he would like Graves to read that letter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12-15

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Millard J. Bloomer

Theodore Roosevelt thanks Millard J. Bloomer for the letter and states he is entirely in sympathy with Bloomer’s view of a peace movement.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12-15

Letter from Secretary of Theodore Roosevelt to F. O. Liljefalt

On behalf of Theodore Roosevelt, his secretary thanks F. O. Liljefalt for inviting him to accept the office of chairman of the World Peace Congress in October 1913. While Roosevelt appreciates the honor of being connected with the movement, he cannot accept the request. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12-11

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles Noonan

Theodore Roosevelt thanks Charles Noonan for his letter and the clipping and invites him to stop by The Outlook sometime. Roosevelt comments on movements for peace and the need for justice and righteousness as well as honesty and practicality.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-02

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William D. Finke

Theodore Roosevelt understands Captain Finke’s savage reaction to an anti-war envelope that came in the mail. Though Roosevelt is powerless in the matter, he explains that the envelopes are issued by Appeal to Reason, a publication by Eugene V. Debs that condemns war and fails to distinguish between war sentiments of American patriots and notorious aggressors. The publication has even been known to support infamous dynamiters and murderers.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1916-11-12

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Arthur Deerin Call

Theodore Roosevelt writes to Arthur Deerin Call of the American Peace Society, decrying the activities of the American Peace Society as doing “the utmost mischief” to the nation. He directs Call to an upcoming article in Metropolitan Magazine, in which he advocates for military preparedness. He declines an opportunity for a public discussion, believing that their points of view are so different that nothing could be gained by such an event.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-07-07

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyman Abbott

Theodore Roosevelt asks Lyman Abbott to forward something to his sons, Lawrence and Ernest. Roosevelt also speaks about the question of creating a world league for peace and the ramifications that would have for the American people. Roosevelt is doubtful that such a league would succeed unless the American people realize that they must prepare for their own defense first.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-06-24

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lewis Einstein

Theodore Roosevelt is a “genuine lover of peace” and does not believe war is necessary to “maintain the virile qualities.” However, he believes the professional pacifists have lost these qualities and are the “very worst enemies of real peace.” Lewis Einstein currently holds an interesting position at the American embassy in Istanbul and it must be a “sad spectacle” to view the failures of the Turkish revolution. Roosevelt had hoped that Turkey could transform and lead the Muslim community into the modern world. It appears they could not.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-05-29

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to E. A. Filene

Theodore Roosevelt is doubtful of E. A. Filene’s peace proposition and is opposed to recognizing that Americans of foreign birth have divided interests due to their affiliation with foreign countries. He does not want to encourage “group political action by nationality or creed.” Roosevelt argues that the only peace worth having is a righteous peace as “nonrighteous peace may be as evil as the most unrighteous war.” He faults President Wilson and Secretary of State Bryan for not living up to the country’s international obligations and failing to follow a policy of military readiness. Roosevelt concludes by comparing Wilson and Bryan to Spain’s Prince, Manuel de Godoy, whose policies reduced his country to “complete impotency,” lost Spain’s American possessions, and led to a French invasion under Napoleon.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-04-05

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to James Bryce

Theodore Roosevelt believes it is an inopportune time to attempt the creation of a “World League for Peace.” Before any world league is organized, the nations of the world need to meet and enforce current international obligations, which includes having free nations prepared for war. Roosevelt argues that military preparedness is the only way to maintain and enforce peace. He wishes that the United States had defended Belgium but also faults the British for infringing on neutrality. Roosevelt admires Viscount Bryce but regrets that Bryce’s influence will be used to argue in favor of a doctrine that no duty is owed if carrying out that duty “entails risk or hardship.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-03-30

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Juliet Barrett Rublee

Theodore Roosevelt advises against joining the peace organization and describes their platform of principles as “silly and base.” He compares the current peace advocates to the Copperheads of the American Civil War. Roosevelt views the peace movement as futile. Roosevelt is also distressed that the peace advocates make no mention of the wrongs committed against Belgium. He wants the United States to stop these wrongs. Roosevelt would like everyone to refuse to have anything to do with such a “foolish and noxious” movement.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-02-09

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William E. Childs

Theodore Roosevelt responds to the idea of having a commission propose a peace treaty to warring powers. Roosevelt states that such a peace movement would make the commission look foolish; and, although he does not want to be quoted on the matter, Roosevelt explains why the treaty would be worthless and the movement would be no different than the current peace proposals.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-02-03

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Alfred Noyes

Theodore Roosevelt is pleased with the letter and poem from Alfred Noyes. Roosevelt believes in peace but it must be “backed by physical force” in order to “appeal against the brutal, the disorderly, the homicidal.” He thinks Noyes’s verses will be helpful as too many “Peace people have degenerated into the ultra-pacifist type.” For example, none of the American peace organizations have denounced Germany for its actions in Belgium.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1914-11-28

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Morris Jastrow

Theodore Roosevelt denies advocating for war in order to develop the United States to its “full strength.” He believes a nation should be fit to defend its rights and ashamed to be unfit. Roosevelt will not speak out to help end the slaughter in Europe as it would be useless. Peace advocates are not doing any good and Roosevelt believes that useless speech is “always noxious.” He compares the situation to a mass meeting in response to an outbreak of crime in Oyster Bay, New York. A meeting is futile, but arming a constable and making the criminals understand that the police force will be expanded if necessary would be effective.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1914-11-14