United States. Department of State

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-07-11

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Recipient

Beveridge, Albert J. (Albert Jeremiah), 1862-1927

President Roosevelt tells Senator Lodge of his sorrow at the death of John Hay, who, while not flawless as Secretary of State, he greatly respected. He believes Elihu Root will be a good Secretary of State. Roosevelt updates Lodge on the progress of arranging peace talks between the Japanese and Russians, as well as his part serving as an intermediary between France and Germany. Newspapers are speculating that Root agreed to join the cabinet as a step towards the presidency, but Roosevelt feels that Secretary of War William H. Taft may make a better candidate.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-07-11

President Roosevelt tells Clara Louise Stone Hay that Secretary of State John Hay needs to rest this summer. Roosevelt promises to “handle the whole business of the State Department” himself during the summer. The president will use William Lawrence Penfield as his assistant when First Assistant Secretary of State Francis B. Loomis is away.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-06-12

President Roosevelt tells Roger Alden Derby that Secretary of War William H. Taft is most likely too busy to get away at this time.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-03-18

President Roosevelt regrets that Mary Lomey Roosevelt and her husband, Frederick, could not attend the inauguration. Roosevelt has instructed the State Department to send a letter of introduction for Mary and Frederick to the diplomatic and consular representatives abroad.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-03-06

President Roosevelt tells ex-senator Henry Gassaway Davis that people in the Department of State believe Williams C. Fox should be promoted to head the Bureau of American Republics. Roosevelt thinks he will appoint him with the caveat that he will be immediately removed if necessary.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-03-02

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

Not wanting any misunderstandings, President Roosevelt emphasizes to Rachel Sherman Thorndike he never promised to send Minister Alexander M. Thackara to Paris. He will look into the Hamburg matter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-06

President Roosevelt believes it was a mistake for the Commissioner of Immigration William Williams and Immigrant Inspector Richard K. Campbell to send papers for Giulio Cesare Montagna of the Italian embassy to sign. Italian ambassador Edmondo Mayor des Planches has protested the action. Roosevelt has therefore given instructions that “no money is to be collected from non representing foreign powers in a diplomatic capacity of any kind.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-01-07

President Roosevelt informs Samuel B. Capen he has directed the State Department to ensure that the consul general is at his post at least ten months out of the year and to report on the deputy and vice consul of the American legation in Turkey. Roosevelt asks if Capen can pass along the name of an American who knows the languages of Turkey to be appointed first interpreter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-30

President Roosevelt has instructed the State Department to appoint William Miller Collier as the ambassador to Spain based on a letter from New York Senator Thomas Collier Platt. The president encourages Collier to thank Platt personally for his letter. Roosevelt includes a handwritten addition: “Now go at re-furbishing your Spanish hard and at once!”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-19

President Roosevelt asks Secretary of War Taft to look over the enclosed materials and then speak with William Emlen Roosevelt and James Alexander Scrymser, along with a representative of the State Department. The materials discuss a dispute between Scrymser’s company and Clarence H. Mackay’s company, and while Roosevelt has not investigated the matter in any depth, he is inclined to believe Mackay’s company was in the right.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-07

President Roosevelt has notified the State Department that he wants Robert S. Chilton put into the consular service as soon as possible.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-22

President Roosevelt informs Nathan Bijur that Julius M. Mayer will be calling upon him with a suggestion; Roosevelt thinks it is Bijur’s patriotic duty to accept. Roosevelt also asks Nijur to discuss sending the statement on the passport question to the State Department with Mayer and George B. Cortelyou, Chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-06

President Roosevelt informs Senator Nelson that the charges against Consul General John Goodnow may be very serious indeed, and that Roosevelt has ordered Goodnow home from China to answer for them.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-28

President Roosevelt shares information with Eugene A. Philbin regarding comments made by Secretary of State John Hay about the Congo Free State. Roosevelt also appreciates the information Philbin gave him about Sullivan.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-28

President Roosevelt has heard the news about Secretary of State John Hay’s brother, Leonard Augustus Hay, and hopes he will be alright. Roosevelt is angered by John W. Foster’s speech calling for less armament. Foster should not be asking the State Department to take a position in Turkey or anywhere else. Roosevelt advises cutting Foster off from communication.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-30

President Roosevelt writes to Secretary of the Navy Morton that he approves of Caspar F. Goodrich’s action and directs Morton to send copies of Goodrich’s telegram and this telegram to the State Department.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-13

President Roosevelt is glad that Oscar S. Straus liked his letter. Roosevelt asked Secretary of State John Hay and Chairman of the Republican National Committee George B. Cortelyou to communicate with Straus about publishing the State Department dispatches about the passport question. Roosevelt would like Straus’s input on how far to go.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-13

President Roosevelt tells Senator Penrose that he will appoint William B. Sorsby to a post in Ecuador should a vacancy arise. Roosevelt asks Penrose what his opinion is on Robert M. McWade, the Consul General to China. Roosevelt feels he cannot keep him, but he does not want Penrose to think him discourteous.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-02