United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Foreign Relations Archives

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft

President Roosevelt informs President-elect Taft that he has met with Chinese Special Envoy Shaoyi Tang, who informed him that China would like the United States to send an ambassador to China. Roosevelt would like to do this, but Secretary of State Elihu Root had already promised Hale that no extra ambassador would be made. Roosevelt believes that if Taft writes a letter expressing his wish that the matter be arranged, Roosevelt would be able to write to Congress and at least begin the process.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-22

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Austin A. Burnham

President Roosevelt tells Austin A. Burnham that the best way to bring about the result he wants is through Secretary of State Elihu Root. Because he has influence with the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Root’s efforts can accomplish more than any recommendations Roosevelt would make in his annual message to Congress.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-29

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Orville Hitchcock Platt

President Roosevelt informs Senator Platt that he has instructed Secretary of State John Hay to “endeavor to procure” an amendment to Article 2 of the Bering Sea Tribunal of Arbitration, per the request of several senators. Roosevelt goes on to point out that the original text of the treaty was approved in advance by the members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations prior to to negotiation, and that a joint resolution by the House and Senate requested Roosevelt to negotiate and conclude the treaty governing the hunting of fur seals with Great Britain.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-23

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Shelby M. Cullom

President Roosevelt discusses with Senator Cullom the implications of substituting terms such as “agreement” and “treaty” while amending the arbitration treaties. Doing this, Roosevelt believes, essentially makes the treaties useless, and is a “slight step backward as regards the question of international arbitration.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-10

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Samuel L. Parrish to Theodore Roosevelt

Samuel L. Parrish does not think President William H. Taft will be able to create any popular support in the Senate to rescue the findings of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-08-17

Creator(s)

Parrish, Samuel L. (Samuel Longstreth), 1849-1932

Letter from Henry Cabot Lodge to Theodore Roosevelt

Senator Lodge discusses a number of topics regarding the late Secretary of State John Hay. Lodge bemoans the editing of a publication of Hay’s letters, claiming that Hay was “one of the best if not the best letter writer of his time,” but the publication does not do him justice. He reminisces on the many men of letters he has known in his life, and believes that Hay was the most “brilliant, humorous, sympathetic, [and] witty” among them. Lodge holds more criticism for Hay in his role as a secretary of state, discussing how Hay bungled multiple treaties, took credit for accomplishments that were not his own, and formed poor relations with the Senate.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-02-14

Creator(s)

Lodge, Henry Cabot, 1850-1924

Phone message from Winthrop Murray Crane

Senator Winthrop Murray Crane telephoned to caution President Roosevelt about dealing with Senator Weldon Brinton Heyburn regarding San Domingo. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is sensitive about the president “butting in.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-03-15

Creator(s)

Presidential Office Staff

Letter from Oscar S. Straus to Theodore Roosevelt

Oscar S. Straus feels the treaty amendments proposed by the Committee on Foreign Relations makes a mockery of the efforts of international arbitration. He suggests it would be better to postpone ratification to a more favorable time than to implement the proposed changes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-10

Creator(s)

Straus, Oscar S. (Oscar Solomon), 1850-1926

Says one word kills treaties

Oscar S. Strauss, member of the International Arbitration Court at The Hague, believes the Senate’s changing of “agreement” to “treaty” defeats the purpose of the treaties and hopes President will withdraw treaties from further consideration if the amendment is not defeated.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02

Creator(s)

Unknown

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George von Lengerke Meyer

President Roosevelt copies two letters he sent to Kentaro Kaneko that he believes finally convinced Japan to give up on an indemnity and reach terms to end the Russo-Japanese War.

Collection

Massachusetts Historical Society

Creation Date

1905-09-01

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Francis B. Loomis to William Loeb

Acting Secretary of State Loomis has forwarded the appropriations request for the inspection of consulates to the Senate Committees on Appropriations and Foreign Relations.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-01-25

Creator(s)

Loomis, Francis B. (Francis Butler), 1861-1948

Letter from John Hay to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of State Hay sends President Roosevelt a letter from General Bliss regarding his statement on the Cuban treaty given before the Subcommittee on Foreign Relations on a Cuban Treaty. Hay asked Senator Cullom for a printed transcript, but they are in short supply. Therefore, “Burrows will have to wait a few days for his ammunition.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-12-31

Creator(s)

Hay, John, 1838-1905

Statement of Gen. T. H. Bliss, U.S. Army, before Senator Cullom, as a subcommittee of the Committee on Foreign Relations

Testimony of General Bliss before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations regarding provisions of the reciprocity treaty between the United States and Cuba.