Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, The Conference of Berlin (The Potsdam Conference), 1945, Volume I

Leahy Papers: Telegram

No. 87
The President’s Chief of Staff (Leahy) to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman)¹

top secret

[Washington,] 23 June 1945.

302. Replying to your 221600² the President’s party as now constituted totals 37 and comprises Admiral Leahy, Messrs. Byrnes, Hopkins,³ Vinson,⁴ Ross, Admiral McIntire and the Military and Naval Aides, eight other junior Army and Navy officers, one civilian secretary, seven secret service and twelve servants. The Secretary of State’s party totals 26⁵ and includes Stettinius, 19 Assistant Secretaries and Foreign Service officers, plus 6 stenographers. The Joint Chiefs of Staff party of 75 includes in addition to the Chiefs, 10 admirals or general officers, 13 colonels or Navy captains, 9 junior officers, 8 warrants and 32 enlisted. The composition and numbers of the advanced party communication personnel and air crews can be obtained from Eisenhower’s headquarters.

I am reasonably certain the President and Churchill will wish to bring their Chiefs of Staff.

The question in my 201603⁶ was as to whether or not Stalin would prefer that staff meetings be not held in Berlin because of implications.

1. Presumably sent to the United States Naval Attaché, Moscow, via Navy channels.
2. document No. 86.
3. With respect to the tentative inclusion of Hopkins in the United States Delegation, see Sherwood, Roosevelt and Hopkins, pp. 915–916.
4. With respect to the tentative inclusion of Vinson in the United States Delegation, see Truman, Year of Decisions, p. 332; cf. p. 327. With respect to the possibility of including Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr., in the Delegation, see ibid., p. 327.
5. See document No. 68.
6. See document No. 79.