Roosevelt Papers: Telegram
Prime Minister Churchill to President Roosevelt1
Former Naval Person to President. Personal and most secret. Message from Stalin delivered by Soviet Chargé d’Affaires for transmission to Prime Minister 10 August. Number 410.
Following is text referred to in Para 3 of my number 409. Begins:
“I have just returned from the front and already had time to become familiar with the message of the British Government dated 7 August.3
“I agree that a meeting of the Heads of three Governments is absolutely desirable. Such a meeting must be realized at the first opportunity having arranged with the President the place and time of this meeting.
“At the same time, I ought to say that in the existing situation on the Soviet German Front, I, to my regret, have no opportunity to absent myself and to leave the front even for one week. Although recently we have had several successes on the front, and [an] extreme strain on the strength and exceptional watchfulness are required in regard to the new possible actions of the enemy from the Soviet Troops and from the Soviet Command just now. In connection with this, I have to visit the troops on that or other parts of our front more often than usual. In the circumstances, at the present time I am not able to visit Scapa Flow or any other distant point for a meeting with you and the President.
“Nevertheless, in order not to postpone an examination of the questions which interest our countries, it would be expedient to organize a meeting of the responsible representatives of our States and we might come to an understanding in the nearest future concerning the place and date of such a meeting.
“Moreover, it is necessary beforehand to agree on the scope of the questions to be discussed and the drafts of the proposals which have to be accepted. The meetings will hardly give any tangible result without that.
“Taking this opportunity I congratulate the British Government and the Anglo American troops on the occasion of their most successful operations in Sicily which have already caused the downfall of Mussolini and the break up of his gang.”
For reply see my immediately following telegram.
- Channel of transmission not indicated.↩
- The message originated at Quebec but was apparently transmitted via London.↩
- An undated memorandum in the Roosevelt Papers, bearing the initials “amc” (Albert M. Cornelius) and attached to a copy of Stalin’s message reads, in part, “The ‘British Government’s message of August 7’ referred to herein is not on file.” The text is printed in Stalin’s Correspondence, vol. i, p. 387.↩