William II, German Emperor, 1859-1941

Letter from Arthur Hamilton Lee to Theodore Roosevelt

Arthur Hamilton Lee and his wife, Ruth Moore Lee, are happy that President Roosevelt appreciates their gift of the painting “Seats of the Mighty.” After being president for seven years, Lee believes a year-long African safari is the best curative. He outlines “a plan… for you to visit England without annoyance,” inviting Roosevelt to stay at either his London house or the one in the Highlands. Roosevelt’s reaction to the Olympic controversies delights Lee, who feels international games cause more friction than good feelings. Lee discusses British naval preparation and questions the German policies.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-06

William and Edward may meet

Reports of a meeting between German Emperor William II and British King Edward VII are premature. Discussions are ongoing seeking to determine the possibility of such a meeting, but nothing has been determined yet.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07-14

Newspaper article on American ambassador to Germany

German Emperor William II has accepted David Jayne Hill, President Roosevelt’s nominee for the American Embassy in Berlin, thereby ending a recent embarrassing incident involving the posting. Part of the Emperor’s reservation in accepting Hill’s posting in Berlin was due to Hill being less wealthy than Charlemagne Tower, the outgoing American ambassador. The author of the article praises Hill’s qualifications, and agrees with Roosevelt’s insistence “that merit must go before millions,” but notes that in practice this can sometimes result in uncomfortable positions and suggests that states provide their ambassadors with ample means if they are not already independently wealthy in order that they are able to present themselves with the appropriate dignity and gravitas.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-04-01

Article from the Observer

The author of the Observer article offers commentary on an incident in which Emperor William II of Germany, who liked United States Ambassador to Germany Charlemagne Tower and his wife, was not happy with President Roosevelt’s choice of David Jayne Hill to replace Tower. Tower and his wife were millionaires who were able to throw lavish parties, while Hill, though qualified, does not have money. The Observer notes that although wealth should not be a qualification for a diplomatic post, it would be wise for countries to pay diplomats more. The article concludes by suggesting that even after leaving the presidency, Roosevelt will play a large role in American affairs.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-04-05

Poem by Elihu Root

A poem about an international incident, possibly by Secretary of State Root, reads: “This Tower of silence / Has suffered violence / For everyone talked / When the Kaiser balked / Except this home of the dead.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-04-16

Kaiser’s letter

The Daily Telegraph has received a report from “a specially well-informed correspondent” about the contents of letters that were sent between German Emperor William II and First Lord of the Admiralty Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth. While the exact contents of the letter are still not known, The Daily Telegraph assures its readers that William II did not attempt to influence British naval policy, as has been feared by the general public. While such a personal letter is unprecedented between two such highly-ranked heads of state, it does not appear to be sinister in any way.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-07

The Kaiser and our navy

The Times has published an account alleging that German Emperor William II has attempted to influence British naval policy by writing a letter to Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth, and strongly criticized him for this. Acting Prime Minister H. H. Asquith responded to the charge in the House of Commons acknowledging the letter, but stating that it was purely a personal and private communication, and that it did not seek to influence British naval policy. The Daily Mail provides some additional context for the letter, and how it came to be known to the public.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-07

The German Emperor and Lord Tweedmouth

The explanation from Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth, regarding the letters sent between him and German Emperor William II have not contradicted any of the statements by The Times or added to the explanation Acting Prime Minister H. H. Asquith gave to Parliament. Given the tone of the comments by several politicians, The Times comes to the conclusion that many people think that these sorts of letters should remain entirely private, and that any mention of international relations and naval policy should be done through official channels and not personal letters. While the letters have been treated as personal communication by many people, there is no doubt that William II wanted to influence thinking about British naval policy with them. The Times calls for the publication of the letters, as proof that they did not discuss policy would quiet public anxiety about the matter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

Kaiser’s letter

Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth, Henry Charles Keith Petty-FitzMaurice, Marquess of Lansdowne, and Archibald Philip Primose, Earl of Rosebery recently gave speeches on the letters exchanged between Tweedmouth and German Emperor William II. Lansdowne feels that Tweedmouth has broadly handled the events well, although there are broader questions about whether these extra-official communications are proper. Rosebery worries about Great Britain becoming a laughingstock in the international community due to the handling of the subject by the press.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

In the House of Commons

Members of the British House of Commons asked H. H. Asquith, Acting Prime Minister, several questions about the letters exchanged between Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth, and German Emperor William II.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

Opinion in the lobby

Most members of the House of Commons seem to want to consider the recent matter of an exchange of letter between Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth, and German Emperor William II as finished. No one was quite satisfied with the outcome, but the general feeling was that the issue had been blown out of proportion and that it would be better to accept the assurances of acting Prime Minister H. H. Asquith and Baron Tweedmouth.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

Emperor’s attitude

German Emperor William II feels that the British press has treated his letter to Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth, very unjustly. He resents the implication that he would try to influence British naval policy, but feels that relations between Germany and Great Britain are undisturbed by the recent furor over the letters.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

From our own correspondent: Brussels & Paris

Daily Telegraph reporters comment on opinions from Brussels, Belgium, and Paris, France, regarding the recent exchange of letters between Baron Tweedmouth, Edward Marjoribanks, and German Emperor William II. Opinions from both countries seem to think that the fervor over the incident was blown out of proportion, and that tensions between England and Germany regarding the English Navy are high.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

Newspaper article on letter from William II, German Emperor to Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth

The Daily Telegraph feels that the sooner the recent business regarding the letter from German Emperor William II to Baron Tweedmouth is forgotten, the better. The letter has been stated to have been personal and private, and will therefore not be published, despite requests for the contrary from some parties. Nevertheless, there is a general feeling that such communication from foreign sovereigns should not be a normal occurrence, as people in positions of power are not able to separate their private lives from their political ones, much as they may wish to do so.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

The end of it.

The Daily News proclaims that the incident of German Emperor William II’s letter to Baron Tweedmouth can be considered as closed, as Tweedmouth has addressed the House of Lords and presented the facts of the case. After receiving the letter from William II, Tweedmouth conferred with Edward Grey, who agreed that the letter should be treated as a private letter, and not an official one. After learning of the letter, however, The Times blew the issue out of proportion and drove public outcry, and the Daily News speculates on what would have driven this sort of irresponsible journalism.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

Newspaper article on letter from William II, German Emperor to Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth

The Standard has learned that before responding to the letter from German Emperor William II, Lord Tweedmouth conferred with Foreign Secretary Edward Grey to see how it should be treated. Grey felt that it should be treated and responded to as a personal letter, and regardless of subsequent events, The Standard praises Tweedmouth’s actions in this respect. While there are benefits to not publishing this letter, as it was treated as a personal letter, The Standard feels that overall it would be more beneficial to publish the exchange. By not publishing the letter, and letting news about it come out through rumors and conjecture, the issue is more muddled than it otherwise would be.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

Under which king

A letter to the editor of the London Times alleges that German Emperor William II has recently written to Edward Marjoribanks, Lord Tweedmouth, about British and German naval policy, and that this letter is attempting to improperly influence British naval policy for the benefit of Germany. The author suggests that this letter be laid before Parliament so that the contents can become public.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-06

The German Emperor and Lord Tweedmouth

German Emperor William II recently wrote to First Lord of the Admiralty Edward Marjoribanks, Lord Tweedmouth, on the subject of British and German naval policy. It is believed that this letter was an effort to influence British naval policy. The author sets up a hypothetical scenario where Edward VII, King of Great Britain, wrote to try to influence German naval policy, and predicts that in this case Germany would be filled with outcries of anger, and would summarily increase the size of its navy. If William II has comments about the British Navy, there are official channels of communication which should be used.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-06

The German Emperor and Lord Tweedmouth

Reuters reports that while German Emperor William II wrote a letter to Edward Marjoribanks, Lord Tweedmouth, he did not attempt to interfere in British naval policy. There is no objection to the publication of the Emperor’s letter, but officials in Germany regard the correspondence as personal between the Emperor and Lord Tweedmouth. There has been much discussion about the letter in various countries.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-07

The German Emperor and the British Admiralty

It has been confirmed that Edward Marjoribanks, First Lord of the Admiralty, communicated with German Emperor William II in private letters about a variety of topics, including British and German naval policy. It does not seem that the present Navy Estimates were affected by the letter, and it may even be possible that the letters did not directly reference the estimates, but it is unacceptable for the First Lord of the Admiralty to communicate with foreign leaders on questions of British Naval Policy. Full publication of the letters is a matter of urgent national importance.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-07