The following five letters were written by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the Baker Street Irregulars and published posthumously in the Baker Street Journal.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
August 5, 1942
PRIVATE
Dear Edgar Smith:
Of course, I shall be delighted to accept membership --honoris causa -- in the Baker Street Irregulars. I am glad to have a part of any movement whose purpose is to keep green the memory of Sherlock Holmes.
Now that I belong to the the B.S.I., I cannot restrain the impulse to tell you that since I have had to give up cruising on the Potomac I sometimes go off record on Sundays to an undisclosed retreat. In that spot the group of little cabins that shelter the Secret Service men is known as Baker Street.
Many thanks for the honor.
Very sincerely yours,
Edgar W. Smith, Esq.
Secretary, ("Buttons"), B.S.I.
Thoneycroft
Basking Ridge
New Jersey
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
August 26, 1942
PRIVATE
Dear Mr. Wigglesworth:
I am distressed to learn that such a serious tempest is sweeping through the ranks of the Baker Street Irregulars. In my search through Dr. Watson's papers some years ago I found several pages proving that the good Doctor spent many sleepless nights trying to devise a Coat of Arms for Sherlock. These notes also proved conclusively that Sherlock had no Coat of Arms. Being a foundling, his one great failure was his inability, after long search, to find his parents. Perhaps this will contribute to calming the tempest among the Baker Street Irregulars.
Very sincerely yours,
Belden Wigglesworth, Esq.
3 Sentry Place,
Boston,
Massachusetts
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 21, 1944
Dear Edgar Smith:
Upon my return from Quebec Conference I was delighted to find upon my desk your letter and the complimentary bound copy of the Sherlockiana stories dedicated to the Baker Street Irregulars.
A glance at the forward and your article entitled "The Disappearance of Mr. James Philmore" inspires me with keen anticipation of another trip when that rare moment of relaxation comes -- this time in a "Four-Wheeler to Baker Street." Many thanks for your kindness in presenting this volume to me.
Very sincerely yours,
Edgar W. Smith, Esq.
Secretary, "Buttons", B.S.I.
Thoneycroft
Basking Ridge
New Jersey
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
December 18, 1944
Dear "Buttons":
Please tell the Baker Street Irregulars how much I wish I could be with them on January fifth. Select indeed will be this assembly of the forty "aficionados" and it would give me a great thrill to be of the number.
Gladly do I embrace this opportunity, in absentia, to send hearty greetings to the Irregulars in whose membership I am honored to be included.
On further study I am inclined to revise my former opinion that Holmes was a foundling. Actually he was born an American and was brought up by his father or a foster father in the underground world, thus learning all the tricks of the trade in the highly developed American art of crime.
At an early age he felt the urge to do something for mankind. He was too well known in top circles in this country and, therefore, chose to operate in England. His attributes were primarily American, not English. I feel further study of this postulant will bring good results to history.
Very sincerely yours,
Edgar W. Smith, Esq.
"Buttons", The Baker Street Irregulars
1175 Broadway,
New York 19, N.Y.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
March 19, 1945
PRIVATE
Dear "Buttons":
It's always good to hear of the activities of the Baker Street Irregulars. I am therefore glad to have your letter of March seventh. I am especially grateful to you for sending me a copy of Baker Street Inventory which accompanied it and which I shall read with interest when I can find the time.
I am delighted to know that my postulant with reference to Holmes's criminal background in America brought such heated discussion and debate. It only goes to show that interest in the whole field of Sherlockiana is perennial.
Edgar W. Smith, Esq.
"Buttons", The Baker Street Irregulars
1175 Broadway,
New York 19, N.Y.