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President Roosevelt’s friend, avid explorer Caspar Whitney, would like to join a French military caravan on a journey across the Sahara Desert. Roosevelt hopes Ambassador to France Henry White will be able to secure this for him.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-11-07
Caspar Whitney describes his travel plans across the Sahara Desert and into Sudan for the coming winter. He has to take a roundabout way to get to his destination, the Baḥr al Ghazāl region of Sudan, because the English will not allow him to travel through their territory in Egypt, as they do not want to be responsible for him. The solution, according to Whitney’s friend Vance Thompson, is to travel with French military caravans. Whitney asks Roosevelt to give him a letter, such as Thompson suggests, to endorse his experience and fitness to the French government to allow him to travel with them.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-11-06
At center, Andrew Carnegie donates an “inland sea” as a place to send the Navy. Surrounding vignettes include other options where it could be sent: the “North Pole,” the “Saragossa [sic] Sea,” the “Saharra [sic] Desert,” or “Salt Creek” – where the “Salt Creek Reception Committee,” comprised of such figures as “D.B. Hill, Alton B. Parker, Croker, Burton, Jerome, [and] Seth Low,” awaits its arrival. Caption: Some places to send it without giving offense.
The American Navy was in the news when this cartoon appeared, as it was at least once a year during President Roosevelt’s administration — during the annual message, today called the State of the Union address.