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George B. Cortelyou provides Puerto Rico Governor Hunt with information about three potential candidates for Treasurer of Puerto Rico and asks which he thinks will be most satisfactory.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1901-11-06
Theodore Roosevelt writes to Senator Dixon and encloses a letter from Henry Martyn Hoyt regarding the Puerto Rican delegation.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-05-27
Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary informs Henry Martyn Hoyt that Roosevelt received his letter and will have his campaign manager look into the matter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-05-27
Theodore Roosevelt congratulates Bernard Shandon Rodey on the Puerto Rico reports and is interested in the sugar planter frauds. He wishes Rodey was not staying in Alaska.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-14
Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary discusses the enclosed letter from the Pension Department to Alexander L. Lucas. He explains why he was placed in New York City and why he cannot be immediately transferred to San Francisco.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-08-28
Theodore Roosevelt congratulates the Honorable Charles McKenna on his new judgeship and also thanks him for his service in Puerto Rico. Roosevelt has been too busy to read McKenna’s book, but he is sure he will like it.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-08-22
Theodore Roosevelt tells Representative Rivera that he is powerless to accomplish the things he most wants to in the governmental system and can only fight for them. Whether it will be wise for Roosevelt to take the case of Puerto Rico must be determined by the pressing nature of the other problems the country is facing.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-08-20
Theodore Roosevelt expresses to Luis Muñoz Rivera that he has not taken-up the issue with Puerto Rico; however, he will be in communication when he investigates the issue.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-08-06
President Roosevelt tells Harry Johnston that he does not believe that the United States will intervene in Haiti, although he thinks that it ought to. Roosevelt does not like to act unless he can get the support of the American population behind him. In many cases in Central America and the Antilles, it either took a long time for the population to embrace interference or they never became interested. Roosevelt would have liked the United States to act in Venezuela, Central America, and Haiti, but says that people are “not merely blind, but often malevolently blind, to what goes on.” Roosevelt is pleased that Johnston’s impressions of New York are going to be published, and hopes that his thoughts on the Southern United States are likewise published.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-12-04
President Roosevelt wishes that he could be present at the anniversary dinner of Troop A of the New York Volunteer Cavalry, but unfortunately cannot. Regardless, he sends his greeting and good will through James T. Terry, and praises the actions of Troop A for their service in Puerto Rico during the Spanish American War. If the United States ever gets into a war again, Roosevelt would like to raise another brigade or division of cavalry, and would try to get the men of Troop A under his command.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-30
President Roosevelt tells Senator Du Pont that he has already recommended citizenship for Puerto Rico, and that Du Pont should not speak to Roosevelt about it, but to his colleagues in the Senate.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-26
President Roosevelt agrees that George Reynolds Shanton should go to Puerto Rico.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-10
President Roosevelt thanks George Cabot Ward for the letter and speech. He was especially interested in his description of the Puerto Rican jíbaro, as well as other things he generally did not know about Puerto Rico. He hopes Ward’s laws about deforestation will be “speedily passed” and wishes his paper could be published and have a wide circulation.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-11-07
President Roosevelt provides a letter of introduction for Harry Johnston, an English administrator with “long and varied experience” in several of England’s possessions in Africa. Roosevelt hopes that Puerto Rico Governor Post will let Johnston see and study whatever he wants.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-27
President Roosevelt thanks Reverend Johnston for his letter. The incident that Johnston wrote about happened over a year ago and was an attempt to discredit Puerto Rico Governor Regis Henri Post. Roosevelt asserts that this was done because Post is “a good man,” not because he is a bad man. The Senate Committee, led by Senator Joseph Benson Foraker, investigated the allegations against Post and found no wrongdoing.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-23
President Roosevelt thanks Reverend Wiltsee for sending him the letter and drawing his attention to the enclosure. Roosevelt says that it is simply reviving “groundless falsehoods” about his renomination of Puerto Rico Governor Regis Henri Post a year ago. Post was approved in the Senate Committee without party divisions, and testimony stated that he treated Protestants fairly and well.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-14
President Roosevelt tells Levi Gilbert that the matter he wrote about has been revived as a partisan issue with the aim of damaging William H. Taft. It deals with an incident that happened when Regis Henri Post was serving as Governor ad interim of Puerto Rico. Roosevelt points out that Post’s nomination was made on the recommendation of Episcopal Bishop James H. Van Buren, Protestant missionaries, the Catholic bishop, and other Puerto Rican officials. The nomination was sent to Senator Joseph Benson Foraker’s Senate Committee, and ultimately Post was confirmed by both the committee and the full Senate.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-17
After discussing the matter in Puerto Rico, President Roosevelt has concluded that Robert Lee Howze should return there to serve as head of the regiment as soon as possible. He would like to consult General Bell regarding timing. Roosevelt also calls Bell’s attention to a memorandum regarding the commission of officers. He believes that all lieutenants should be subject to an examination in order to keep their commissions. He would like to meet with Bell tomorrow to discuss the issue.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-06-05
President Roosevelt asks Secretary of War Taft if the administration has committed to anyone for the Philippine Commission. If not, he would like to consider Cabot Ward, who has done well in Puerto Rico.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-05-01
President Roosevelt corrects Eugene A. Philbin on a sentence in his letter regarding the administration’s treatment of Catholics in Puerto Rico. Catholics in the administration in Puerto Rico say that they are being treated fairly, and Roosevelt objects to the assertion that on a national level they are treated unfairly. He notes that Catholics often seek political appointments and promotions on the grounds that they are Catholic more often than other groups.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-04-15