United States. Department of State

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Spencer Borden

Theodore Roosevelt was glad to hear from Spencer Borden, but unfortunately he is unable to help. Because he served as president, Roosevelt believes it would not be appropriate for him to give Borden any letters to pass on to individuals in foreign countries. Roosevelt advises Borden to request that a letter be sent from the State Department to the ambassadors of the countries he plans to visit. Roosevelt is quite certain that Borden could obtain such a letter, especially with the help of General Wood or Senator Lodge.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-04-28

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to David Healy

Theodore Roosevelt will read David Healy’s article with interest. He agrees with Healy about the bars and thinks his suggestion about transferring the Bureau of Immigration to the State Department has merit.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-28

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Philander C. Knox

Theodore Roosevelt would greatly prefer the park in the Azores not be named after him. However, he will do what Secretary of State Knox thinks is polite and proper.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1910-12-09

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Cabot Lodge

Theodore Roosevelt hopes that Senator Lodge is appointed Secretary of State. He views Lodge and Elihu Root as the only Republicans fit for the position. However, Roosevelt was distressed by a recent speech that Root delivered suggesting that public opinion can restrain a “wrong-doing nation.” Roosevelt disagrees and feels that Root’s speech damaged the movement for military readiness.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1916-01-06

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George E. Miller

Theodore Roosevelt informs George E. Miller that the Senators have informed him that they will not support Philander C. Knox for President because of Knox’s positions on Mexico and foreign affairs during his time as Secretary of State. Miller should speak with Senator Albert B. Fall about his facts regarding Knox. Roosevelt instructs Miller to make it clear that Roosevelt is not supporting any one man for the presidency. However, if Roosevelt could choose the next President, it would be Hiram Johnson. He wishes that the Republicans would nominate Johnson, but believes that is “too much to expect.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-12-27

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to W. O. Huson

Theodore Roosevelt wishes he could help W. O. Huson’s friend but does not believe that the State Department could do anything for someone who “is not naturalized.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-11-03

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cushing Stetson

Theodore Roosevelt believes the letter is “very important” and will “make use of it.” Roosevelt hopes that Cushing Stetson has the original carbon of the report that was sent to the State Department.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-11-08

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Phillips

Theodore Roosevelt encloses a letter from a woman affected by the war in the hopes that William Phillips will send her a line.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-10-18

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Andrew Carnegie

President Roosevelt details the numerous accomplishments of Secretary of State Elihu Root to Andrew Carnegie. Roosevelt makes clear that while the successes occurred during his administration, the credit for State Department efforts firmly belongs to Root, especially as they relate to world peace. Roosevelt is unable to give a speech in Norway, as the request came after he accepted three speaking engagements in Europe and rejected all others.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-02-26

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert Bacon

President Roosevelt tells Assistant Secretary of State Bacon that he would like something to be done for James Weldon Johnson, as he has repeatedly asked for Johnson to be promoted with no success. Roosevelt believes that Johnson is being discriminated against in spite of his excellent record of service because of his color. He asks Bacon why Johnson has not been promoted before now, and directs him to make sure that Johnson is promoted before Roosevelt leaves office if at all possible.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-01-04

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft

President Roosevelt wants to appoint William Phillips as Third Secretary of State, but he has been blocked by Senator Eugene Hale, who wants his son, Chandler Hale, to take the position once President-Elect Taft has taken office. Roosevelt warns Taft that Chandler Hale is not fit for the position and advises against his appointment.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-01-06

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Elihu Root

In order to be able to give comprehensive information to the Senate, President Roosevelt asks Secretary of State Root to send him information pertinent to the subjects brought up in the Aldrich resolution, especially any needs related to detective services and provisions for such within the department.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-22

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

President Roosevelt suggests William Cullen Dennis as a possible candidate to appoint as Assistant Attorney General. Dennis is currently serving as Assistant Solicitor in the Department of State, and Roosevelt has heard good reports of him from Assistant Secretary of State Robert Bacon. Secretary of State Elihu Root is also writing Attorney General Bonaparte a letter to this effect. In a postscript, Roosevelt opines that Thomas Carl Spelling is “of pretty small caliber to argue that commodities case,” and tells Bonaparte that they should put their best man on it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-24

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft

President Roosevelt has recently spoken with John Callan O’Laughlin about possibly appointing him Assistant Secretary of State, and that O’Laughlin believed that when William H. Taft was inaugurated as president he “would ‘see what could be done about retaining him.'” Roosevelt informed O’Laughlin that he was mistaken, and that while he would be pleased to appoint him, it would be with the understanding that it would only be until March 4, 1909. Roosevelt has spoken with Philander C. Knox, and is confident that he will accept the position of Secretary of State in Taft’s cabinet. Roosevelt additionally discusses a possible appointment of Beekman Winthrop. In a postscript, Roosevelt mentions a rumor that Taft is considering appointing John W. Weeks instead of George von Lengerke Meyer to a cabinet position, which Roosevelt advises Taft against doing.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-15

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Luke E. Wright

President Roosevelt informs Secretary of War Wright that Oscar K. Davis, of the New York Times, is investigating papers connected with the purchase of the Panama Canal. He has thus far been unable to find the minutes of the final meeting of the stockholders of the New Panama Canal Company. Roosevelt asks Wright to have the files examined to determine whether such a document exists.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-07

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert Bacon

President Roosevelt appoints Assistant Secretary of State Bacon to be the representative of the United States Department of State on the Central Committee of the National Red Cross.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-03

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Doane

President Roosevelt has sent John Doane’s note to their Harvard classmate, Assistant Secretary of State Robert Bacon. Roosevelt does not personally know anything about the case, as those appointments are handled entirely by the State Department.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-23

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Oliver Wendell Holmes

President Roosevelt would like to see Justice Holmes soon to talk over “a million or two things” that they left unsaid. He is glad Holmes approved of Lewis Einstein’s promotion, for which Roosevelt made a “special case of interference with the State Department.” Roosevelt has great regard for Einstein’s diplomatic and literary work.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-21

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Owen Wister

After discussing the matter with the Department of State and the Department of Commerce and Labor, President Roosevelt tells Owen Wister that it is clear that Princess Sofia Grigorievna Kropotkina should not be allowed into the United States. The mere fact that she calls herself an anarchist is reason enough, and Roosevelt adds that he personally does not think she should come, as anarchists “add to the strength of the worst and most vicious elements of our civilization.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-10

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Owen Wister

President Roosevelt has sent what Owen Wister has said about William R. Scott, along with enclosed letters, to the War Department and instructed them to send Scott information about how to file for consideration to become a chaplain. He will have the State Department look into the case of Sofia Grigorievna Kropotkina.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-05