Your TR Source
President Zelaya agrees to have the present conflict between Nicaragua and Honduras arbitrated by the United States, if President Roosevelt accedes to his conditions. The people of Nicaragua, Zelaya says, are “in the same state as that of the American people when the S.S. Maine was blown up.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-02-13
Until the outbreak of war, Albert Apponyi’s correspondence with Theodore Roosevelt was anti-Austrian and Apponyi considered Roosevelt “lukewarm for liberty” because he wanted Hungary to stay within the Austrian Empire. Roosevelt does not agree that the war is against Russia, as Germany stated that the war is primarily against Great Britain and Russia attempted to have the Austria-Serbia conflict placed before the Hague court. He also disagrees about Belgium and does not believe that Britain would have gone to war if Belgian neutrality had been observed. Roosevelt has friends throughout Europe and is working to prepare the United States so they will not suffer a disaster similar to the Belgians or Poles.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-03-05
Theodore Roosevelt does not approve of Germany’s “blood-and-iron policy” but favors it over the Wilson administration’s “milk-and water policy.” Roosevelt does not believe in being neutral in matters of right and wrong. As such, his statements regarding the war have angered his English and German friends. Roosevelt is attempting to act as a good American and is angered by German Americans or Irish Americans who, because of their birth origin, are trying to influence the United States to act counter to its interests in favor of the interests of Germany or Ireland.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-02-25
Theodore Roosevelt was pleased to be able to secure wide publication of Ladislaus Hengelmuller von Hengervar’s letter. Roosevelt has been concerned about the “terrible war.” He believed it would be advantageous for Bosnia and Herzegovina to enter the Austrian orbit instead of the Ottoman or Serbian. However, the Bosnians and Herzegovinians could not be made loyal to Austria and hindsight shows the annexation to be unwise. Roosevelt understands that the warring nations felt forced to act “by the fatalistic pressure of the past,” except for the case of Belgium whose invasion should have been rebuked by all civilized nations. He concludes by congratulating Hengelmuller von Hengervar for the “genuine national spirit” that has been shown by Austria-Hungary.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1914-11-16
President Roosevelt discusses his thoughts regarding tensions with Japan with German Ambassador Sternburg, and supposes that racial differences between Europeans and Japanese makes understanding between the two races difficult. In response to a report from Sternburg that Japanese immigrants in Mexico could attack the United States from there should conflict arise, Roosevelt says this action would do nothing but anger the United States. Roosevelt does not understand why Japanese immigrants want to come to America and become naturalized citizens, yet retain their Japanese identity. Roosevelt pledges to treat the immigrants with justice and to protect them if need be, while at the same time keeping the American fleet ready to sail at a moment’s notice. He does not believe there will be war, but will try to “prevent it from being disastrous” if it does. Roosevelt worries because the Japanese have formidable military power, and Americans suffer from a luxurious, modern life that makes them frivolous. Roosevelt is troubled by men who talk about peace but are really cowards. Roosevelt says his foreign policy is simple: to show other nations justice, courtesy, and considerations, and to receive the same in return.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-07-16
The author discusses the implications of the rumors that, based on the engineers’ examinations of the debris, the USS Maine was blown up from the inside, not by “Spanish bravos,” as initially believed.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-01-14
Frederick Courteney Selous endeavors to answer some of Governor Roosevelt’s question about the South African War. Selous lived for many years in South Africa and had a lot of contact with Boer hunters and frontiersmen. He provides a comprehensive history of the “Transvaal Boers” and factors which led to their current conflict with the British.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1900-03-04