Spring Rice, Florence

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice

President Roosevelt found the letter that Cecil Spring Rice sent to Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt about safari dangers to be quite hilarious, as did she, in a morose way. Roosevelt felt it would not be right to stay on as President, and he is glad the Africa trip is ahead. Roosevelt expresses his interest in the complex political situation unfolding in Turkey and the surrounding countries. He hopes Spring Rice can come to England and discuss politics in person.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-17

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice

President Roosevelt asks if Cecil Spring Rice and his wife Florence Spring Rice can delay their return to England to visit the White House and discuss matters “while I am still among the men whose armor is on and who are standing ready to do their part in the fight.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-19

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice

President Roosevelt believes Sir Cecil Spring Rice’s informant was misguided regarding the events of the Battle of the Yellow Sea and discusses the actions of the Japanese and Russian fleets.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-27

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice

President Roosevelt begins his letter to Cecil Spring Rice discussing the presidential election and how Alton B. Parker and the Democratic Party chose to campaign. Roosevelt mentions his plans to send Ambassador to Italy George von Lengerke Meyer to St. Petersburg, and spends the rest of the letter discussing Japan and Russia. The Japanese government treats Americans well, while Russia has treated the United States, England, and Japan poorly. However, Roosevelt believes the Japanese Army groups all white men together and considers such men inferior to themselves, as evidenced by the experience of American military attachés in Japan. The president opines that Russia is the main enemy of Japan, as long as it focuses on China, Korea, and Manchuria. However, if Japan desires to become a maritime power, it could threaten the United States, England, and the Netherlands. Roosevelt concludes his letter by saying, “[W]e must trust in the Lord and keep our powder dry and our eyes open.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-27

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice

Theodore Roosevelt updates Cecil Spring Rice on the members of the Roosevelt family. Roosevelt feels that British politics are much more interesting than politics in the United States at the moment. He is disappointed in President Taft, and thinks that his leadership has divided the conservative and progressive streams within the Republican Party. However, Roosevelt would like to see Taft elected again. Roosevelt has “no sympathy with [Taft’s] arbitration treaty business” and believes the treaty should be strictly between Great Britain and the United States. Roosevelt also writes about his contentment with his life at the moment, writing for The Outlook.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-08-22

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice

President Roosevelt wishes that Cecil Spring Rice and his wife were there to visit with him and Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt. He reflects on the growing German materialism in light of the controversy surrounding the appointment of David Jayne Hill as new ambassador there. The previous ambassador, Charlemagne Tower, was wealthy, and Roosevelt believes that the Germans dislike Hill because he is not wealthy. Roosevelt reflects on the merits of being rich and concludes that while it is good to have the things that money can buy, “from the standpoint of real pleasure [he] should selfishly prefer [his] oldtime ranch on the Little Missouri to anything in Newport.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-04-11

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice

President Roosevelt would like to have Cecil Spring Rice visit him, but advises him to not leave a run in diplomatic service unless necessary. Roosevelt has fundamentally the same philosophy as Spring Rice, and hopes to avoid a race conflict such as Spring Rice worries about in the Pacific. Australia’s population is growing slowly, which worries Roosevelt, but the United States and Canadian populations are growing quickly enough that Roosevelt does not fear the threat of Asian dominance in North America. He does worry, however, about ongoing racial tensions and the weakening of the United States’ navy, which could threaten peace. While European civilization has spread over the globe in the past, it is impossible to say what will happen in the future. Domestically, Roosevelt is having a difficult time with the panic and the resulting depression and stagnation. Roosevelt believes that while the movement against corruption will ultimately succeed, even while those who lead it may seem to fail at present. He sends a copy of his message so Spring Rice might read his thoughts on the army and navy. Roosevelt feels it is abhorrent that many in Spring Rice’s country, and his own, have internalized an idea of peace in which good men should not make war, and in which advancement means a weakening of the fighting spirit.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-12-21

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice

President Roosevelt shares his thoughts on various topics with Cecil Spring Rice. Roosevelt is planning to swap foreign assignments between John B. Jackson and Richmond Pearson, mentioning that Pearson had trouble with missionaries in Persia. While Jackson has done well as Minister to Greece, Roosevelt does not approve of his strong pro-Russia feelings. Roosevelt thinks the Russian people are good, and feels badly that they oscillate between despotism and anarchy. Roosevelt is interested in what Spring Rice says about the movement of Islam in Persia toward more tolerance, and gives his opinion about progress in Islamic countries in relation to Buddhism and Shinto. The violent incidents in San Francisco towards Japanese immigrants concerns Roosevelt. Roosevelt thinks everyone should be in favor of peace and temperance, but he feels professional advocates of both talk a lot without ever getting anything done. At home, Roosevelt is trying to keep a balance between plutocrats and labor unions. Roosevelt hopes to see Spring Rice and his wife soon.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-01

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice

President Roosevelt sends Cecil Spring Rice the text of two letters that he sent to Kentarō Kaneko, a member of the Japanese delegation in the peace talks to end the Russo-Japanese War. He urged Kaneko and Japan to accept a peace agreement, rather than simply continuing the war in hopes of getting a large sum of money from Russia in the form of an indemnity. Roosevelt believes that without his intervention, Russia and Japan could not have made peace.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-01

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice

President Roosevelt asks that Cecil Spring Rice give his regards to Lord Henry Charles Keith Petty-FitzMaurice Lansdowne. Roosevelt writes at length about the current state of international affairs and of relationships between different nations. He feels that it is not in Japan’s interest to extend the Russo-Japanese War for another year and explains his actions in pressing for peace negotiations between the two powers. Roosevelt also discusses his efforts urging the United States to interpret the Monroe Doctrine in an active way and remarks upon the recent death of Secretary of State John Hay.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-07-24

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice

As requested by German Ambassador Hermann Speck von Sternburg, President Roosevelt asks Sir Cecil Spring Rice where he obtained his information regarding alleged international alliances and hostilities.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-05-26

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice

President Roosevelt disagrees with an informant of Cecil Spring Rice’s regarding the comparative strengths of the Russian and Japanese fleets in a naval battle near Port Arthur, and details his reasoning. Roosevelt enjoyed seeing Spring Rice recently. He comments that he is having some troubles in Washington, D.C., and jokingly proposes sending “eminent statesmen at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue” to be bodyguards for imperiled Russian nobility.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-27

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Sir Cecil Spring Rice

President Roosevelt gives Cecil Spring Rice his assessment on the Russo-Japanese War. Roosevelt is not concerned with the emergence of Japan as a world power and does not think that Japan will become more aggressive. Roosevelt is concerned that Russia must be contained, but insists to Spring Rice that the U.S. has no intention of intervening in the war. In a postscript, Roosevelt discusses the differences between Japanese and American culture and diplomacy, and reflects on race and culture.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-06-13

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice

President Roosevelt says that Cecil Spring Rice’s recent letter about the Russo-Japanese war interested him. Roosevelt admires much about the Russians but thinks that they can never be successful with such a despotic government in place; while the Japanese, though “non-Aryan and non-Christian,” have a less despotic government and so are more successful at the present time. The United States intends to remain neutral in the conflict, but Americans generally sympathize with the Russians. If the Japanese win, the world “will have to reckon with a great new force in eastern Asia.” However, Roosevelt believes that the war will end in a stalemate which will not allow “the creation of either a yellow peril or a Slav peril.” While Roosevelt does not believe that either England or the United States are in immediate danger, it does concern him that neither have much military experience. Roosevelt closes by urging Spring Rice to bring his wife as soon as they are married, and says that it will be fun to host them at the White House.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-03-19

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Cecil Spring Rice to Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt

Cecil Spring Rice asks Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt if President Roosevelt would be his son’s godfather, which would simply give permission to use the name. He will be leaving for Stockholm, but Florence Spring Rice, who handled the pregnancy well, will of course be staying home.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-15

Creator(s)

Spring Rice, Cecil, Sir, 1859-1918

Letter from Cecil Spring Rice to Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt

Cecil Spring Rice informs Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt that his friend Edward Ashley Walrond Clarke, British Consul General to Zanzibar, has promised to look after President Roosevelt. He discusses the Turkish reform movement, its influences, and global impact. The British have appealed to William II, Emperor of Germany, to stop arming.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-06

Creator(s)

Spring Rice, Cecil, Sir, 1859-1918

Letter from Cecil Spring Rice to Theodore Roosevelt

Cecil Spring Rice informs President Roosevelt of his recent illness and encourages him to take his children to the doctor if any of them have stopped up noses. Due to his illness he has had to leave Perisa, but Spring Rice tells Roosevelt that he will either take a quiet post or retire when he has recovered. Spring Rice suggests that newspapers are in the hands of Roosevelt’s enemies and are hostile at heart. Spring Rice believes that there is little that can be done to avoid challenging racial difficulties in the future, as the Muslims in the world have had enough of Christian aggression. However, the English government is mostly concerned with internal affairs and has mostly ignored questions of foreign policy. Spring Rice worries about relations between Germany and England and believes that Germany might attack England at some point in the future. He concludes with his well wishes for Christmas and mentions that his wife Florence Spring Rice hopes to see Roosevelt soon.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-12-04

Creator(s)

Spring Rice, Cecil, Sir, 1859-1918

Letter from Cecil Spring Rice to Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt

Cecil Spring Rice thanks Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt for her letter and gives personal updates on his life. He wishes he could bring his wife to see Roosevelt, but she is in London and is expecting a baby soon. Spring Rice wishes he could be with her, but is doing his duty in St. Petersburg. He comments on the state of politics in Russia, particularly between Sergei Witte and Pyotr Durnovo. The Emperor believes the army is loyal to him, but Spring Rice believes that the situation will not last very long and that a revolution will come sooner or later. He mentions the San Francisco earthquake, commenting on how well the military responded and how quickly the city is likely to be rebuilt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-04-25

Creator(s)

Spring Rice, Cecil, Sir, 1859-1918

Letter from Cecil Spring Rice to Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt

Cecil Spring Rice updates Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt on the declining political and social situation in Russia. Although revolution seems to be in the air, Czar Nicholas seems impervious to demands for reform and determined to maintain the autocracy. Crowds are being shot down in the streets, including women and children; trains are being robbed of munitions; and a complete breakdown of order appears imminent. Spring Rice also describes Great Britain’s stance toward Russia, Japan, and America, particularly King Edward VII’s admiration for President Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-03-13

Creator(s)

Spring Rice, Cecil, Sir, 1859-1918

Letter from Cecil Spring Rice to Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt

Cecil Spring Rice announces to Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt that he has become engaged to be married. He also writes about the situation in Russia, sharing his opinion of the United States ambassador to Russia. He discusses opinions in Russia regarding President Roosevelt and about the possibility of war. While the idea of war is unpopular because the common people do not understand what the fight is about, Spring Rice thinks the people would bear a war regardless of any disasters. The Emperor seems to be above both law and morality.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-01-20

Creator(s)

Spring Rice, Cecil, Sir, 1859-1918