Hopkins Papers
The Secretary of War (Stimson) to the Presidents Special Assistant (Hopkins)
Dear Harry: I have reflected over our talk of yesterday and am putting on paper in this letter to you my reflections on the chance that they may be useful for you or the President.
[Page 176]1. In re Overlord: My best estimate of the situation is that preparations are going all right. Provided there are no further diversions or delays, we shall be ready on the scheduled time. I have checked this statement up. Postponement to midsummer would be so serious that it ought to be avoided if that is possible. In added difficulties and delays in closing the war, such a postponement would cost many thousands of lives.
The task for our Commander-in-Chief is to hold the situation firmly to the straight road which has been agreed to and which it is now on. He should tolerate no departures from the program. It is sound and there are, certainly as yet, no reasons visible for departures from that program. Once we approach within two or three months of the attack, I anticipate no further efforts to depart and a steady acceleration of British support.
So the one prayer I make for the Commander-in-Chief is steadfastness—a very difficult virtue but one more needed than any other in this particular problem.
2. The problem of command. I believe that Marshall’s command of Overlord is imperative for its success. To make it effective he should be there very soon. The success of Overlord is so much the most important thing in the world horizon that Marshall should take up that command in spite of all counter reasons which I can envisage. He should do this even if no joint command with the Italian operation is yet achieved. I anticipate that his European command will be extended in future to all auxiliary movements in western Europe even if that is not now agreed upon.
3. No successor Chief of Staff should be appointed for the present but that post should be carried on by an acting chief. I anticipate that Marshall’s presence in London will strongly tend to prevent any interferences with Overlord even if they were attempted, and as to other theaters of operation we shall have to take our chances of carrying on along the present plans which have been pretty well laid out. Certainly they are in far better situation than they were two or three months ago.
These are my views. Good luck!
Faithfully yours,
Secretary of War