TLS as president, two pages on two adjoining sheets, 7 x 9, White House letterhead, June 21, 1907. Letter to Benjamin I. Wheeler, president of the University of California. In full, “I have your letter of the 20th and the accompanying clipping. I shall take up the subjects you mention in their inverse order. It is not of importance whether the fleet is in the Pacific or Atlantic, but it is important that it shall be kept steadily increasing in size and that it shall all be kept in one place, so far as the fighting ships are concerned, if there is the least chance of a breaking out of hostilities. If Congress will keep on building up the fleet I think I can guarantee you against a bombardment; but if I had not been able to overcome the opposition of Senators Hale, Tillman, and the rest of them during the past six years, and if they had stopt the upbuilding of the fleet (and it had stopt when I became President) you would have been in danger of bombardment now. I am exceedingly pleased that you kept on the Pacific Slope. There is where you can do your best work. You did a patriotic service. I have not known anything about the plan for industrial peace in San Francisco, but of course I will back it up in every way I properly can. I have written to Bacon to procure full information about Garrett, and will let you know when I hear from him.” Roosevelt dramatically increased the size of the navy, forming the Great White Fleet, which toured the world in 1907. This display was designed as a show of force to impress the Japanese. Yet, the ships were almost forced to return because of the inadequacy of American ports in the Pacific. Wheeler was President of the University of California from 1899 to 1919. During the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire he became a member of Mayor Eugene Schmitz’s Committee of Fifty. The Mayor invited civic leaders, entrepreneurs, newspaper men and politicians to participate in this committee in the civil administration of San Francisco. Some scattered creasing, otherwise fine condition. Auction LOA John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
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