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Four quotes by Theodore Roosevelt about war and peace. While all wise people desire peace, Roosevelt emphasizes that sometimes war is necessary in order to avoid even worse results and achieve the highest goals. He mentions George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as examples of presidents who chose righteousness over peace.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
1915-1918
In the context of President Jimmy Carter’s work negotiating a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, William C. Sexton reviews President Theodore Roosevelt’s mediation of the Russo-Japanese War in 1905 and argues that Roosevelt’s actions set the table for future presidents to act as peacemakers. He looks at Roosevelt’s actions during the negotiations, reviews some of his administration’s other accomplishments, and says that advances in technology like those pioneered by the Wright brothers added to America’s power and prestige.
A listing of the Officers of the Theodore Roosevelt Association is found on the second page of this article.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
Theodore Roosevelt wrote in an article published in The Outlook that Abraham Lincoln rejected peace advocates. The author disagrees and believes that Lincoln did all in his power to avert war.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-09-19
Boy Scouts of America’s April 17, 1911 newsletter contains seven articles. Ernest Thompson Seton compares the American Boys Scouts with the British Boy Scouts. The British scouts are more disciplined, whereas the American scouts are skillful at camping and have “greater lung power.” There is a discussion on doing a troop exchange. National Scout Commissioner Daniel Carter Beard discusses how scouts should regard men like Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone as heroes rather than Jesse James or Robin Hood-type characters. The Executive Board plans to establish a Scout Masters’ School at Silver Bay, New York, in conjunction with the Boys’ Workers Camp. The two new manuals are almost ready to be published. Lorillard Spencer is planning summer activities for New York scoutmasters. New Jersey scouts are cleaning up areas to prevent mosquitoes. Italian scouts are working on propagating universal peace.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-04-17
Henry E. Huck outlines the rules for the anarchists, nihilists, and “discontented populations” that he will rule over.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-04-03
President Roosevelt wears an olive branch crown and rides in a chariot followed by “Trusts,” “Morgan,” “Foraker,” “Bryan,” “Rockefeller,” “Tillman,” “Harriman,” “Haskell,” “Hearst,” “Pulitzer,” “Congress,” a “stork,” “undesirable citizens,” “grafters,” “muckrakers,” and “nature fakirs.” A dove tries to escape the “peace” cage.
As the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt drew to a close — seven years and several months, instead of the normal eights years, as Roosevelt assumed office upon the death of President William McKinley — cartoonist Jay N. “Ding” Darling drew a valedictory summation of the president’s triumphs.
President Roosevelt is dressed as an angel of peace with an olive branch as he leans on one of the guns on a battleship. Caption: “I want a resistless fighting navy, because it is the most effective guarantee of peace that the country can have.”—President Roosevelt.
On July 22, 1908, President Roosevelt traveled to the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, to deliver a major address. Appropriately, he made the trip from Oyster Bay by sea on The Mayflower, the presidential yacht.
Admiral George Dewey and President Roosevelt with his “Nobel prize” stand in the vessel, “The Forlorn Hope,” and release a dove that holds “peace notes to South America.”
Frederick Morgan’s cartoon depicts President Roosevelt and Admiral George Dewey, and refers to South American leaders, but a major figure behind the cartoon is not shown: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.
President Roosevelt tells Secretary of War William H. Taft, who is dressed in traditional Japanese attire and holds an olive branch, “Taft, I guess you had better make a short Japanese trip” as he points out the window at explosions going off in Japan.
San Francisco-area politicians, newspapers, and agitators had long resented the presence of the Japanese in their midst. Japanese workers arrived in the United States since the 1870s (when Tokyo ended its isolationist emigration policies) and, generally speaking, unlike Chinese field workers and railroad laborers who tended to return home, many Japanese intended to become American citizens.
Industrialist Andrew Carnegie, peace advocate and sponsor of the upcoming International Peace Congress at the Hague, holds a shepherd’s hook labeled “Peace Congress” and reaches up to grab the “naval program” horn dangling from a moon featuring President Roosevelt’s likeness.
Andrew Carnegie had been persuaded to be the principal supporter of the Second International Peace Conference at Hague, set for October 1907. Since the first conference in that Dutch city, nominally convened at the invitation of Russia even as it planned its own military buildups, Carnegie had sold his steel and related enterprises, and became arguably the world’s richest man. With that increased fortune, and more time to himself, the canny Scots-American pursued interests from simplified spelling to establishing “free libraries” to promote peace.
President Roosevelt holding his “big stick” and San Francisco Mayor Eugene E. Schmitz in his arms steps up on a platform, “Conquest of California.” In the background are other figurines of Roosevelt: “San Juan Hill,” “Russian Jap Peace,” and “Anti-race Suicide.”
T. S. Sullivant was one of the great American cartoonists of his time, active mostly between the 1890s and his death in 1926. His specialties were animal subjects and ethnic themes. Between roughly 1904 and 1909, he was employed by William Randolph Hearst, principally to draw daily political cartoons. The drawings often were cartoon masterpieces, but unlike his earlier and subsequent work for magazines and color supplements — both rare enough today — are virtually inaccessible to scholars due to the scarcity of newspaper files.
This commentary by Sullivant is one example. It is mildly critical of Roosevelt — for instance, the inevitable Rough Rider outfit is inappropriate except for one cited accomplishment — but notes a few of the substantial achievements of a life that indeed was busy.
A woman, “Peace,” crowns President Roosevelt, who is already wearing an enormous “Nobel Peace Prize” and holding his big stick, with a laurel wreath. On the ground are three laurel wreaths beside a paper that reads, “Amicable adjustment of Japanese question.”
C. R. Macauley, over his long cartooning career, was seldom complimentary toward Theodore Roosevelt. He drew this cartoon for the semi-official organ of the national Democrat Party, the New York World; in 1912 he was even the official, salaried cartoonist for the press office of the Democratic National Committee.
Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon says, “Tariff revision or an extra session!” in one cartoon. The next includes a teddy bear and President Roosevelt reading a paper that says, “Mr. President: Anything you say goes! California.” Another cartoon depicts a government clerk holding a bag that says, “50% salary increase” while Uncle Sam says, “And more if necessary.” The next cartoon depicts William Jennings Bryan saying to William Randolph Hearst, “After you, my dear Willie!” with a sign that reads, “To presidency.” Another one shows South Carolina senator Benjamin R. Tillman depicted with a pitchfork walking toward the White House with a dove of peace. Finally, the last cartoon depicts Senator Joseph Benson Foraker with a sign that says, “Reenlistment” in front of a group of soldiers labeled, “25th Infantry” — the black regiment at the center of the Brownsville Incident.
When cartoonist Clifford Kennedy Berryman switched, shortly prior to this drawing’s publication, from the Evening Star from the Washington Post, his drawing style improved: a better ability to capture celebrities’ likenesses to place atop little bodies. This cartoon fell back on the erstwhile cartoonists’ annual chestnut — a reliable theme to use once a year, the Valentine cards for politicians — either dream-fantasies or the unlikeliest of scenarios.
President Roosevelt, dressed like a farmer, sows seeds from a bag labeled “$40,000 Peace Prize” with a bird “Peace” on his head. In the background is a fence labeled “American Industry.”
The background this cartoon is the recent announcement by President Roosevelt that he would assign the monetary award from his Nobel Peace Prize committee to “social and industrial” justice. The intention was sufficiently vague that the funds only gathered interest for a dozen years, never connected to a foundation or specific project (many charitable groups during America’s participation in the Great War ultimately received the apportioned funds).
Cartoonist J. H. Donahey was one of the Midwest’s great cartoonists between the late 1890s and the late 1940s. His political (Democrat) and social cartoons (small-town American themes) were among the finest ever drawn in America. His style was distinctive and affected many other subsequent artists; and his clever concepts never flagged.
“Norway” hands President Roosevelt a “Nobel Prize $40,000.” Behind Roosevelt is a large “big stick” with “olive branches” on the wall along with the “Treaty of Portsmouth—Russo-Japanese.” On the ground is “Roosevelt’s plans for Industrial Peace Commission—$40,000 endowment.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-11
“The Press” tries to walk toward the “cabinet” car, which includes Secretary of State Elihu Root, Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw, Secretary of War William H. Taft, Attorney General William H. Moody, Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson, Secretary of the Navy Charles J. Bonaparte, and Secretary of Commerce Victor H. Metcalf, but “Headkeeper” William Loeb holds “the big stick” and tells him to stop. There is a dove of “peace” on the car and a sign that reads, “This way to the stuffed bears and mountain lions.” President Roosevelt rides away on an elephant.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-10-22
President Roosevelt points his finger at a pile of football players on the lawn of “the White House Athletic Field.” A cage with the words “the new mascot—peace” is on the ground while as the wall has a sign that reads “teams coached under the new rules.” German Emperor William II, surrounded by instruments, looks over the wall. Caption: The Kaiser—(enviously)—Just wait until he tries to lead an orchestra.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-10-11
President Roosevelt holds the “big stick” and “peace” papers as he looks towards the United States Capitol building. A number of papers fall out of his briefcase: “cotton scandal airing,” “magazine article written,” “investigation of Castro,” “beef trust jostle,” “a submarine trip,” “cabinet changes,” “speeches made,” and “sermon preached.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-10-01
President Roosevelt leaves the goddess of peace to jump over a fence with a dove and “the big stick.” On the other side, one man is jumping on top of another.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-10-11
Russian Emperor Nicholas II and Japanese Emperor Meiji, who holds a “Port Arthur Manchuria” suitcase, hold the hands of an angel with President Roosevelt’s face. Caption: “Peace hath her Victories,” &c.—(Milton.)
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-09