Wilfley, Lebbeus R.

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft

President Roosevelt sends reactions to three letters from Secretary of War Taft. Roosevelt approves of an address Taft is preparing concerning the Brownsville Affair. The president is also pleased by what Taft tells him of the proposed Constitution for Oklahoma in preparation for admittance to the union. Roosevelt believes Jackson Smith will have to be let go from his position as Head of the Department of Labor, Quarters, and Subsistence in the Panama Canal. Finally, the president approves of Taft’s letter to Clarence Ransom Edwards regarding opium and believes Lebbeus R. Wilfley has “made good.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-19

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Exhibit no. 46

Governor General of the Philippines William H. Taft asks Attorney General Lebbeus R. Wilfley for his opinion in a dispute between the Independent Filipina Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic Church. Wilfley believes that the question should be tried in the courts and not handled by executive power. Taft then writes Archbishop Giovanni Battista Guidi regarding the matter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-01-02

Creator(s)

Unknown

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robert Bacon

Judge Lebbeus R. Wilfley has submitted serious charges against Consul General Charles Denby. President Roosevelt would like Secretary of State Bacon to find someone to investigate the charges.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-01-29

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to James Nelson Jameson

President Roosevelt received the gift of a piece of carved ivory from James Nelson Jameson through Judge Lebbeus R. Wilfley. Roosevelt thanks Jameson, and says the ivory is already in place at the White House.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-04-17

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Bourke Cockran

President Roosevelt thanks United States Representative Cockran for the letter and returns his enclosures. Diomede Falconio was correct in his belief that neither Roosevelt nor Secretary of State Elihu Root had used language classifying the Catholics of Shanghai as vicious, as had been reported. Roosevelt concurs with the guess that an interested party had deliberately misconstrued their words in order to cause trouble. Roosevelt is concerned by Anthony Matré’s actions, as he gave the telegram stating these falsehoods to the Associated Press without verifying its accuracy. He believes this behavior should be dealt with in a way that prevents its recurrence.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-16

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Elihu Root

President Roosevelt concurs with Elihu Root that the attacks against Judge Lebbeus R. Wilfley are insubstantial and have come about because of the effectiveness of Wilfley in attacking vice and crime in Shanghai. Roosevelt encloses a letter from Robert E. Lewis, who has recently returned from Shanghai after living there for ten years, and who reflects positively on Wilfley’s character. If attacks on Wilfley go forward, the beneficiaries will be those people who traffic in vice and corruption.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-02

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John James Jenkins

President Roosevelt sends Representative Jenkins, Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary, a report he received from Secretary of State Elihu Root regarding the charges made by Lorrin A. Andrews against Judge Lebbeus R. Wilfley, as well as a copy of his response.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-02

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John James Jenkins

President Roosevelt tells Representative Jenkins that he is expecting a written opinion from Secretary of State Elihu Root regarding the charges against Judge Lebbeus R. Wilfley. Once Roosevelt receives the opinion, he will send it to the Committee on the Judiciary, along with the information that the executive department has that is relevant to the inquiry the committee is conducting.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry T. Wills

President Roosevelt thanks Henry T. Wills for the letter and the pleasing report. Roosevelt agrees on the commercial attaches, but only Congress can enact a law allowing it. He is glad Wills approves of Judge Lebbeus R. Wilfley.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-10-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Taft

President Roosevelt shares his thoughts on several personnel matters with Secretary of War Taft, and returns several letters.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-02

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Copy of telegram from Elihu Root to Edward Kent

Secretary of State Root informs Arizona Chief Justice Kent that President Roosevelt would like him to accept an appointment as judge of the United States Court for China at Shanghai. The court is in charge of American interests in China, and Kent would have an instrumental role in securing its prestige.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-17

Creator(s)

Root, Elihu, 1845-1937

Telegram from Anthony Matré to Diomede Falconio

Anthony Matré tells Reverend Diomede Falconio that he has received a telegram from Catholics in Shanghai, China, through Reverend Martin Kennelly, and has given it to the Associated Press. Shanghai Catholics deny the charge of President Roosevelt and Secretary of State Elihu Root that they are vicious people, and have renewed their petitions for the removal of Lebbus R. Wilfley as judge of United States Court for China.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-11

Creator(s)

Matré, Anthony, 1866-1934

Letter from William Bourke Cockran to William Loeb

Congressman Cockran forwards a telegram to William Loeb. There appears to have been a distortion of the language used by President Roosevelt and Secretary of State Elihu Root in their dismissal of charges against Judge Lebbeus R. Wilfley, which is creating unrest among Catholics in Shanghai, China. Cockran wanted to get the approval of Roosevelt or Root before giving this sort of an answer to Diomede Falconio, the Apostolic Delegate from whom he received the telegram.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-13

Creator(s)

Cockran, William Bourke, 1854-1923

Memorandum for the President

This memorandum provides a brief overview of the history of the United States Court for China, which was established in 1906. One major accomplishment of the court was the closing of a number of brothels, which were run by Americans or Europeans purporting to be Americans. This action, along with the high standards for admitting lawyers to the bar in this court, have worked to improve the image of Americans in China, although the court still lacks appropriate facilities. There are presently some charges against the Court, which the memorandum outlines as having primarily originated from Lorrin A. Andrews who, while admitted to the bar, has behaved unprofessionally.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02-25

Creator(s)

Unknown

Letter from Robert Bacon to Theodore Roosevelt

Assistant Secretary of State Bacon advises President Roosevelt that it may be wise to notify John James Jenkins, Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary, that Roosevelt expects an opinion from Secretary of State Elihu Root regarding the charges against Judge Lebbus R. Wilfley, and that he will provide it to the committee once he has it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02-25

Creator(s)

Bacon, Robert, 1860-1919

Letter from John James Jenkins to Theodore Roosevelt

Representative Jenkins, Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary, informs President Roosevelt that the committee has been directed to investigate Lebbus R. Wilfley, judge of the United States Court for China. Jenkins understands that Roosevelt has independently started an investigation, and mentions that the committee would be pleased to have the information that this other investigation has produced, if such a thing is agreeable to Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02-24

Creator(s)

Jenkins, John James, 1843-1911

Address delivered by William H. Taft, Secretary of War, at a dinner given by the Americans of Shanghai, under the auspices of the American Association of China, on Oct. 8th, 1907

Secretary of War Taft speaks as a traveler rather than as a government representative. He begins by explaining the relationship of the United states to the Philippines and that there will be no sale of the islands. He then outlines the policy of the United States toward China as it relates to trade, the expansion of China, and monetary reform. Taft explains that the “China for the Chinese” attitude is in favor of China’s own growth. Taft also discusses education of the Chinese in America, improvement in relations between the two powers, and the creation of a United States Circuit Court for China. For additional developments, Taft suggests the further development of the court and the establishment of a suitable government building in Shanghai.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-10-08

Creator(s)

Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930

Extract of a speech by William H. Taft

Secretary of War Taft acknowledges that the United States has not always properly administered justice within its sphere of influence in China, but celebrates the creation of a United States Circuit Court for China to fix this. He praises the work of Judge Lebbeus R. Wilfley on this court, where he has combined the common law of the United States with the traditions of China to great success. Taft hopes this court will be a positive influence on the Chinese and encourage good relations between the two countries. He encourages the construction of a great building to house the court and the American consulate in Shanghai.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-10-08

Creator(s)

Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930

Letter from James F. Tracey to Theodore Roosevelt

Judge Tracey writes to President Roosevelt from the Philippines regarding a judicial controversy over church buildings there. The supreme court has been waiting for a fitting case that would address the issue neatly, without involving too many extraneous questions that could result in the decision being too broadly applied. There are other tensions between the church and the government, as well.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-24

Creator(s)

Tracey, James F. (James Francis), 1854-1925

Letter from Luke E. Wright to William H. Taft

Civil Governor Wright of the Philippines writes to Secretary of War Taft telling him about a number of matters concerning the Philippines. Wright has recently been working to resolve the matter of the friar land contracts, which has been complicated by a number of factors. He additionally comments on the vacancies in the Supreme Court of the Philippines, and more broadly about Filipino government officials in general. Wright finally tells Taft about recent banquets welcoming honorary commissioners to the Philippines, and some of the speeches and issues they caused.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-10-14

Creator(s)

Wright, Luke E. (Luke Edward), 1846-1922