Race relations in school management

President Roosevelt tells General Otis in confidence that he is attempting to negotiate an agreement with Japan that would mutually exclude laborers from immigrating. He would like to restrict immigrants from the “lowest standard of living” from Europe as well. However, he believe that the Japanese already here should be treated like every other citizen, and that “the cry against them is simply nonsense.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-08

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt explains his opinion to Lyman Abbott on several points on which they disagree. First, Roosevelt would interfere on behalf of the Armenians if they were willing to fight. Second, he is currently trying to form an agreement with Japan that would prohibit laborers from each country immigrating to the other. However, he feels that all the Japanese already in the country should be given “the franchise and school facilities,” and treated as well as possible. Third, he is “not well acquainted with the situation in Utah,” but thinks Mormons should be treated exactly as anyone else. He does understand the situation in Idaho, which was not about Mormonism. McLain W. Davis’s claims regarding polygamy among Mormons in Idaho were investigated and found baseless.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-03

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt thanks Baron Kaneko for his letters. He is glad to learn the feelings of the Japanese people about his message. He does not have much power to influence the school boards in California, but is doing his best.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-01

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

The nomination of Oscar Hundley to the United States District Court of the Northern District of Alabama is now in the hands of a sub-committee. There is some opposition to the confirmation of Hundley because of his advocacy for an amendment to the Constitution “providing that moneys collected by white taxpayers should be used in the education of white children only, and that moneys collected from the colored people should be used for the colored schools.” This would have resulted in “colored children” being thrown out of school, as “the amount of taxes collected from colored people is very small.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-24

Creator(s)

Presidential Office Staff