Almanac of Theodore Roosevelt Disposition of Nobel Prize Award

		T.R.
.

Theodore Roosevelt
26th President of the United States

View My Guestbook
Sign My Guestbook

"Disposition of Nobel Prize Award"

Hon. James A. Gallivan, House of Representatives
Washington, DC
August 22, 1918
My Dear Congressman Gallvan:
In accordance with the terms of the Congressional resolution introduced by you, in the House of Representatives, and by Senator Johnson, acting for Senator Williams, in the Senate, Secretary Redfield for the Commission returned to me the Nobel Peace Prize Fund. The securities when sold, plus the cash in hand, amounted to $45,482.83. I have disposed of this sum as follows:
To the American Red Cross, through the Treasurer, Mr. John Skelton Williams $6,900.00
The American Red Cross, and possibly some other war charities, or war activities will receive further sums of money from my royalties on certain scenarios of motion pictures to be shortly produced by the McClure Company; all the royalties I receive from the pictures in question during the period of the war will be thus used.
To Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., now working in the YMCA in France. $5,000.00 As Mrs. Roosevelt is working in the YMCA I suppose that some or most of the money will be used in connection therewith; but the disposal is absolutely at her discretion.
To the Young Men's Christian Association National War Work Council, through the treasurer, Mr. Cleveland H. Dodge $4,000.00
To the Knights of Columbus War Activities Committee, through the treasurer, Mr. William J. Mulligan $4,000.00
To the Jewish Welfare Board, for War Activities, through the treasurer, Mr. Walter E. Sachs $4,000.00
To the Salvation Army War Fund, treasurer Mr. G.S. Reinhardsen $4,000.00 I have sent this check through Major >Atkins, who has been doing admirable work in the battalion of the 26th Infantry in which my sons Theodore Jr. and Archibald have been serving.
To the Young Women's Christian Association War Work Council, Colored, through Mrs. Henry P. Davison $4,000.00 I have asked that Miss Eva Bolles be consulted in the disbursal of this item. My wife and I were very much struck with the work of Miss Bolles in connection with the Colored Hostess House at Camp Upton; and I have requested that the money be used for the hostess houses for colored troops in in work among colored women and girls in and about the camps and cantonments.
To Miss Emily Tyler Carow, at Porto Maurizo, Italy, for work in connection with the Italian Red Cross $1,000.00 I send this sum merely as a token of my admiration of the high gallantry and efficiency of Italy's action.
To Langdon Warner, acting American Vice-Consul at Harbin and Vladivostock, for the Czecho-Slovaks, the extraordinary nature of whose great and heroic feat is literally unparalleled, so far as I know in ancient or modern warfare $1,000.00 In this case, as in all the cases that follow, the value of the money contribution amounts to so little that it seems hardly worth sending; but the money was given to me by the Nobel Peace Prize Committee for my action in connection with the Peace of Portsmouth, which closed the Russo-Japanese War; and I wish to use it in part to show my admiration for the high heroism of the peoples who have done most and suffered most in this great war to secure liberty for all those nations, big or little, which lead self-respecting and orderly lives, and act justly and fairly by others.
To Madame Major Botchkareva, for use as she deems wise, as a token of my respect for those Russians who have refused to follow the Bolshevists in their betrayal to Germany of Russia, of the Allies, and of the cause of liberty throughout the world $1,000.00
To Herbert C. Hoover, for use in Belgium $1,000.00
To the Belgian Minister, for use among the Belgian refugees in Holland $1,000.00 In Holland the burden of caring for >the Belgian victims of the German horror has been very heavy; I suggest, but do not direct, that the money be expended through the committee to which Miss Van der Flier belongs.
To the Servian Minister, for the Servian sufferers $1,000.00
To Paul Shimmon for use among the Armenians and Assyrian Christian $1,000.00 I send this through Mr. Shimmon because so far as I know he has never sought to excuse or justify what I regard as our inexcusable dereliction in duty in having failed to declare war on Turkey, and therefore in having failed to play a manly part in the effort permanently to remedy the hideous wrongs of the subjects of the Turk in the only really effective way, by destroying Turkish rule.
To Mr. M.L. Mirman, Prefect of Meurthe-et- Moselle, the lamentable sufferings of the people of whose prefecture happen to have been brought intimately before us $500.00
To Mrs. Mary Cadwalader Jones, for further similar work in France $500.00
To Count Ishii, the Japanese Ambassador, for the Japanese Red Cross $500.00 The Japanese Red Cross, like the American Red Cross, has raised large sums of money for use in the Allied countries; I send this merely as a very slight token of my admiration for the part the Japanese people have taken in this war.
To Leslie M. Tarlton, Nairobi, for any war activity, or war charity in Uganda or British East Africa $500.00 I was in Africa with Mr. Tarlton, who is an Australian. I send this merely as a token of my admiration of what has been done in this war by the Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, and Africanders, both of Boer and British blood.
To Mrs. Stewart Jobson for reconstruction work for wounded soldiers in England $500.00
To Judge Joseph L. Nunan, of Georgetown, Demerara, for wounded soldiers and their families in Ireland $500.00 I send this through Mr. Nunan because he believes in Home Rule within the Empire, and stands uncompromisingly for prosecuting the war against Germany with all possible efficiency until the enemy is completely overthrown.
To Henry P. Davison, to be used when possible for the Roumanians $500.00
To Henry P. Davison, to be used when possible for the Montenegrins $500.00
To Robert M. Thompson, for the Comforts Committee of the Navy League $500.00
To Speaker Champ Clark, for war activities or charities $500.00 I suggest but do not stipulate that this be used in Missouri.
To Mrs. James A. Gallivan, for war activities or charities $500.00 I suggest but do not stipulate that this be used in Mrs. Gallivan's own neighborhood in Massachusetts.
To Mrs. John A. Williams, for similar use $500.00 I suggest but do not stipulate that this be used in Mississippi.
To Mrs. Hiram Johnson for similar use $500.00 I suggest but do not stipulate that this be used in California.
For cabling and other expenses in connection therewith. $82.83
Total $45,482.83
I wish to express my obligations to Secretary Redfield and his associates for the promptness with which they acted.
Faithfully yours,
Theodore Roosevelt

ŠChapultepec, Inc., 1999-2006