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President Roosevelt tells Rear Admiral Pillsbury that the letter from Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry was very interesting, and he requests a special report on why the conditions of the USS Alabama and USS Maine are so poor. He also asks Pillsbury to remind him to send a message of congratulation to Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-03-21
Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt would like Mr. Leonard, the one-armed Marine captain, to be detailed to the White House, and President Roosevelt wants William S. Cowles to remain his naval aide even after Cowles goes to sea. Secretary of the Navy Moody should do what he believes is right and proper regarding the command of the Atlantic squadron. Roosevelt requests that the bowsprit of the USS Sylph be repaired.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-07-16
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt explains to Representative Reed that he did not order the USS Constellation to be sent to Boston, Massachusetts. Instead, it was Secretary of the Navy John Davis Long. However, the transfer of the USS Newport was his doing. There are rumors that the Newport‘s delay, which necessitated the transfer, was deliberate. Roosevelt assures Reed that, unless he is overruled, the USS Vicksburg will remain at Portsmouth, Virginia.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1897-09-25
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt was pleased with Senator Chandler’s letter to Charles O’Neil, Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance. He has been reviewing the financial estimates and making cuts for all the bureaus except Ordnance. There is a need for naval gunnery, ammunition, and items relating to “warlike efficiency.” Representative Thomas B. Reed recently wrote Roosevelt about “that infernal gun-boat,” the USS Newport, which Roosevelt sent to Boston, Massachusetts, on the recommendation of the Bureau of Navigation.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt informs Senator Chandler that due to the difficulty in getting labor, the USS Newport was sent to Boston, Massachusetts, on the recommendation of the Bureau of Navigation. Two delays had already been granted. However, the ship was sent to Boston to ensure it was ready by November 7 and to prevent additional expenses.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1897-09-20
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt explains to Representative Reed that due to the difficulty in getting labor, the USS Newport was sent to Boston, Massachusetts, on the recommendation of the Bureau of Navigation. Two delays had already been granted. However, the ship was sent to Boston to ensure it was ready by November 7 and to prevent additional expenses.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1897-09-20
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt is glad that Secretary of the Navy Long favors the Armor Board going south. He tried to explain the situation to the constituents of certain congressmen and outlines a plan to prevent rumors about the Board discriminating against the South. Roosevelt discusses his decisions regarding the USS Newport. In a postscript, Roosevelt expresses the difficulty between not wanting to bother Long with matters he can attend to while not making it appear that he is arrogating power to decide questions he should not.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1897-09-18
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt shares with President McKinley his belief that a battleship should only be sent to the Mediterranean if they intend to make a demonstration of force, in which case three or four armored vessels should be sent. He discusses each of the armored cruisers and battleships that could be sent, their current status, and whether they are suitable.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1897-04-26
President-elect Taft describes his pleasant journey to Colón to inspect the construction of the Panama Canal. He informs President Roosevelt that changes among the engineering staff have resulted in clear improvements. The committee is not inclined to change the plans for the canal’s locks and dams. They worry that too much money is being spent on safety precautions, but Taft disagrees. He approves of Roosevelt’s decision to widen the canal, and is optimistic that it will be finished before the projected completion date. Additionally, Taft discusses cabinet and diplomatic appointments he is considering.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1909-02-01
A listing of the naval strength of the American navy, listing the battleships, armored cruisers, cruisers, defense vessels, destroyers, torpedo boats, and submarines, and noting which are or are not currently available.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-10-30
Charles J. Bonaparte writes to President Roosevelt in support of a dry dock, proposed by Representative Mudd, to be utilized by the Navy.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-05-12
Secretary of War Taft instructs Governor-General Wright to inform the Russian Navy Admiral, Zinoviĭ Petrovich Rozhestvenskiĭ, that President Roosevelt will not allow battle-damaged ships to be repaired in the port of Manila unless they are interned there until the end of the conflict. It is United States policy to restrict the actions of belligerent parties in neutral ports. Taft further instructs Wright to turn over the orders to Admiral Charles Jackson Train after he delivers the message.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-06-05
Acting Secretary of State Adee informs President Roosevelt that the captain of the disabled Russian cruiser Lena has withdrawn his intimation of willingness to disarm the cruiser for repairs, pending conversation with Russian ambassador Arthur Paul Nicholas Cassini. Complete repairs to the ship’s boilers would take an estimated eight months, and the captain has suggested that he is willing to disarm the vessel and remain in port for the duration of the war. If this is done, Adee asks what the United States should do with the crewmembers.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-14
Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Labor Murray heard from the Collector of Customs at San Francisco that the captain of the Russian cruiser Lena signed a written statement addressed to Admiral Caspar F. Goodrich detailing the repairs that the cruiser will need. As it is necessary to build new boilers for the ship, the repairs will likely take eight months. The Russians are willing to disarm and dismantle the ship if necessary, but would prefer to make repairs.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-13
Secretary of the Navy Morton forwards to telegrams from Admiral Caspar F. Goodrich regarding the Russian cruiser Lena, which is in port in San Francisco. The ship will require major repairs in order to be safely seaworthy. Goodrich and Morton recommend allowing the ship to remain in port for necessary repairs.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-13
Acting Secretary of State Adee informs President Roosevelt of the United States’s responsibilities regarding the Russian auxiliary cruiser Lena in light of its stated neutrality. The ship is in the port of San Francisco requesting repairs. The collector of the port should only allow repairs that would allow the ship to sail home, and not do repairs that would amount to a full rebuild. The Lena should only be provided with coal if Russia guarantees that the voyage home will be made “in good faith.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-12
Acting Secretary of State Adee includes a draft of a telegram to Russian embassy secretary Arthur Paul Nicholas Cassini regarding the Russian cruiser Lena, which is stranded in San Francisco. The telegram states that President Roosevelt has only authorized the minimal repairs necessary for the ship to be seaworthy enough to make it to the nearest home port.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-14
Acting Secretary of Commerce and Labor Murray reports ship inspector John K. Bulger’s findings regarding the damaged boilers of the Russian cruiser Lena, which is currently in San Francisco seeking repairs.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-13
Acting Secretary of State Adee assures President Roosevelt that all three departments in San Francisco are acting in accord regarding the Russian cruiser Lena. He believes that the Russians will disarm the ship as repairs are made if they are asked. Adee includes the text of messages between himself and the Russian Ambassador Arthur Paul Nicholas Cassini regarding the situation.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-13
President Roosevelt informs Acting Secretary of State Adee that he has received his telegram and two from Mr. Murray. Roosevelt does not understand whether the captain of the Russian ship Lena has expressed the desire for complete repairs, accepting that would require disarmament. If the captain agreed, Admiral Caspar F. Goodrich is to oversee the disarmament. If the captain has not agreed, Adee is to obtain a statement from the Russian Ambassador to the United States Arthur Paul Nicholas Cassini as to the captain’s intentions. If the Russians do not act, the United States will make a formal examination on its own, and if the repairs are extensive, insist on immediate disarmament.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-13