Foreign Relations of the United States, The Conferences at Washington, 1941–1942, and Casablanca, 1943

Roosevelt Papers

Log of the President’s Trip

January 14–25, 1943

[Extracts]

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Thursday 14 January

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The President’s plane landed at Medouina Airport, Casablanca, at 6:20 local time, where the President and the passengers in his plane were met by Mr. Michael Reilly of the White House Secret Service. The President proceeded by automobile to his villa adjoining the Anfa Hotel on the outskirts of the city. Here the American Army authorities had taken over a medium-sized modern hotel and 14 nearby villas. The entire area had been surrounded with barbed wire together with a heavy guard of troops, planes, and artillery. The hotel and the adjoining villas had been organized to provide temporary headquarters for the President, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, and their respective staffs.

The President was installed in Villa No. 2, “Dar es Saada,” by 7:00 P.M., and a few minutes later Mr. Hopkins left for Villa No. 3, “Mirador,” to escort Prime Minister Churchill across to the President’s villa. The President and Mr. Churchill conferred for an hour and then went in to dinner.¹ In addition to Mr. Churchill, the following persons dined with the President:

General Sir Alan F. Brooke	Gen. George C. Marshall
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound	Admiral E. J. King
Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal	Lt. Gen. H. H. Arnold
Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten	Lt. Col. Elliott Roosevelt
	Mr. Harry L. Hopkins
	Mr. Averell Harriman

After dinner, the President’s guests stayed late, renewing old acquaintances and “talking shop.” It was not until almost three hours after midnight that the President retired.²

Friday, 15 January

The day started with a long conference in the President’s bedroom. The following persons were present:

• General Geo. C. Marshall
• Admiral E. J. King
• Lt. General H. H. Arnold
• Brig. General J. R. Deane
• Mr. Harry Hopkins
• Mr. Averell Harriman

This conference had lasted from ten o’clock until 12:30.³ It was followed by a one-thirty luncheon in the President’s villa. Mr. Churchill, Mr. Harriman, Mr. Hopkins, Commander Thompson, and Lt. Colonel Elliott Roosevelt lunched with the President.⁴

At 3:00 P.M. the Prime Minister and his personal aide, Commander Thompson, took their departure in company with Mr. Harriman.

At 3:55 P.M., Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S.A., Commander U.S. Armed Forces in North Africa, called on the President.⁵ Shortly after five o’clock, Mr. Robert D. Murphy, Special Representative of the President on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, North African Forces visited the President and remained for ten minutes, departing at 5:30 P.M.⁶

Preparatory to a conference of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, scheduled for 5:30 P.M., the Prime Minister arrived at the President’s villa and introduced to the President the following listed British officers:

• General H.R.L.G. Alexander, Commander Middle East Forces
• Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder
• Lt. General Sir Hastings L. Ismay Office of the Minister of Defense

From 5: 30 until 7:00 P.M. the following listed persons conferred as a group with the President and Prime Minister Churchill in the President’s villa:⁷

Field Marshal Sir John Dill	General George C. Marshall
General H.R.L.G. Alexander	Admiral E. J. King
General Sir Alan F. Brooke	Lt. Gen. H. H. Arnold
Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder	Lt. Gen. D. D. Eisenhower
Adm. of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound	Brig. Gen. John R. Deane
Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal
Lt. Gen. Sir Hastings L. Ismay
Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten
Brigadier E. I. C. Jacob

Following the departure of the above-listed conferees, Mr. Harriman and Lord Leathers called on the President and remained for half an hour, departing at 7:35 P.M.⁸

During the afternoon, Lieutenant Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., U.S.N.R., had been informed of his father’s arrival at Casablanca and he accordingly took up quarters in “Dar es Saada,” thus making the household four persons—The President, Mr. Hopkins, Lt. Colonel Elliott Roosevelt, and Lieutenant Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr. These four were joined at dinner in the President’s villa this evening by General Marshall, Lt. General Eisenhower, and Mr. Robert Murphy.

The President retired at 11:40.

Saturday, 16 January

During the morning, the President had a number of callers, and for the sake of brevity, they are indicated as follows:⁹

Called		Departed
9:55	The Prime Minister	11:25
10:45	The Rt. Hon. H. Macmillan (British Resident in N. Africa)	11:20
10:50	Mr. Robert Murphy	11:20
11:00	Lt. General Eisenhower	11:15

The President, Mr. Hopkins, Lt. Colonel Elliott Roosevelt, and Lt. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., were joined at luncheon today by Captain George Durno, Air Transport Command, who for many years before entering the Army, had covered the White House for the International News Service.¹⁰ Following luncheon, Chief Photographer’s Mate, Black, took some moving pictures and a number of still photographs at the luncheon party.

From 5:00 until 7:00 P.M., the following listed persons conferred with the President:¹¹

• General George C. Marshall
• Admiral E. J. King
• Lt. General H. H. Arnold
• Lt. General B. B. Somervell
• Rear Admiral C. M. Cooke, Jr.
• Brigadier General A. W. Wedemeyer
• Brigadier General John R. Deane
• Mr. Averell Harriman

The evening dinner party was somewhat unusual. Five members of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAACS) had been invited to take dinner with the President, Mr. Hopkins, Lt. Col. Roosevelt, Lt. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., and Captain George Durno of the Air Transport Command. Their names are listed below:

Captain Louise Anderson	WAAC
Captain Ruth Briggs	WAAC
Captain Mattie Pinette	WAAC
Captain Martha Rogers	WAAC
Captain Alene Drezmal	WAAC

At 11:00 P.M., upon invitation of the President, the Prime Minister, General Alexander, Mr. Harriman, and Commander Thompson joined what was now an after-dinner party, departing at two o’clock the following morning.

No doubt, it may be safely said that not even by the wildest stretch of the imagination, could any of these Service ladies have foreseen that one evening, in a country far from their native land, they would be dining with the President of the United States, and later would be joined by the Prime Minister of Great Britain.

Sunday, 17 January

The first important caller of the day was M. General Charles A. Noguès, Resident General at Rabat, who had been met by Captain McCrea upon arrival at Casablanca. The General was ushered into the President just at noon. General Noguès was accompanied by Major General G. S. Patton, Jr., Commanding General First Armored Corps, Brigadier General William H. Wilbur, First Armored Corps, and Mr. Robert D. Murphy, Special Representative of the President on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief North African Forces. Lt. Colonel Elliott Roosevelt was also present during this conference. At 12:45 General Noguès, accompanied by General Patton and Brigadier General Wilbur, withdrew to the Prime Minister’s villa. (Note: Conference notes, made by Captain McCrea, recorded separately),¹²

Following the departure of General Noguès, the Prime Minister called at the President’s villa at 1:30 and remained for luncheon with the President and Mr. Hopkins, taking his departure at 2:50 P.M.¹³

At 3:30 P.M., Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, Commanding General Fifth Army, called on the President, to depart momentarily at four o’clock.¹⁴ At 4:14 P.M. he returned, escorting General Henri Giraud, Commander of the French Armies in North Africa, who had an appointment to confer with the President. The President conferred with General Giraud from 4:20 until 5:30, General Clark, Minister Murphy, and Captain McCrea also being present during this meeting. (Note: Conference notes, made by Captain McCrea, recorded separately).¹⁵

Upon the termination of the conference, General Giraud, General Clark, and Minister Murphy withdrew to the Prime Minister’s villa.

At eight o’clock in the evening, the Prime Minister, Lord Leathers, Admiral Cunningham, Admiral King, Lt. General Somervell, and Mr. Harriman dined with the President and his household. Following dinner, the main subject of the conversation was “shipping”, lasting until one o’clock in the morning when the President’s dinner guests took their leave.¹⁶

Monday, 18 January

The President’s morning callers were Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, Commanding the Fifth Army, who arrived at 10:05 and departed at 11:10; Mr. Robert D. Murphy, who conferred with the President and Mr. Hopkins from 10:45 until 12:45;¹⁷ and General George C. Marshall, who called at 12:45 and departed five minutes later.

The Prime Minister lunched with the President, Mr. Hopkins, and Lt. Colonel Elliott Roosevelt at Dar es Saada at 1:15 P.M. and departed at 2:40.¹⁸

The President left the grounds of his villa for the first time at 4:10 this afternoon.

[Here follows a description of the President’s inspection of the Third Battalion of the Thirtieth Infantry Regiment which was guarding the President’s camp.]

The President returned to his villa at 4:50, for the Combined Chiefs of Staff were scheduled to confer with him, starting at five o’clock.

The following American and British military representatives of their respective Army, Navy, and Air Forces, conferred with the President, the Prime Minister, and Mr. Hopkins from 5:00 until 6:30 P.M.:¹⁹

Field Marshal Sir John Dill	General George C. Marshall
General Sir Alan F. Brooke	Admiral E. J. King
Adm. of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound	Lt. Gen. H. H. Arnold
Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal	Brig. Gen. John R. Deane
Lt. General Sir Hastings L. Ismay
Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten
Brigadier E. I. C. Jacob

Shortly before seven o’clock, Mr. Hopkins had the pleasure of seeing his son, Sergeant Robert Hopkins, who had secured leave of absence from the Signal Corps company to which he was attached and which was then engaged in active operations at the front. Sergeant Hopkins went in to pay his respects to the President, and later his father took him to call on the Prime Minister.

Mr. Murphy called just before dinner, but stayed with the President only about five minutes, departing at 7:45.²⁰

Mr. Hopkins had accepted an invitation to dine with General Patton this evening, and so he was not present when the President, Lt. Colonel Elliott Roosevelt, and Lieutenant Franklin, Jr., sat down to dinner with their guests for the evening, Admiral McIntire, Captain McCrea, and a young Army Officer, Lieutenant Richard Ryan, a grandson of Thomas Fortune Ryan, and a friend of the family.

The President retired about eleven o’clock.

Tuesday, 19 January

As it was necessary for him to get back to his ship by ten o’clock, Lieutenant Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., U.S.N.R., departed the President’s villa at 9:20 A.M. after breakfasting with his brother, Elliott, Mr. Hopkins, and Sergeant Robert Hopkins.

During the morning, Mr. Harriman and Mr. Robert Murphy were in conference with the President and Mr. Hopkins,²¹ as was Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, who saw the President from 11:25 until 11:45.²²

The President held a second conference with General Henri Giraud, commencing at noon. Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Robert D. Murphy, Captain John L. McCrea, Lieutenant Colonel Elliott Roosevelt, and Captain A. Beaufre, Aide-de-camp to General Giraud, were also present. The conference touched on a number of points, the details of which are set forth in notes taken by Captain McCrea and which have been recorded separately.²³ At 12:40, the President and General Giraud withdrew to the terrace where motion and still pictures were made of them. Later the President directed Mr. Hopkins, Captain McCrea, and Captain Beaufre to join the group and additional pictures were made.²⁴ The General and his aide departed at 12:50.

The President, Mr. Harriman, Mr. Hopkins, Lt. Col. Elliott Roosevelt, and Sergeant Robert Hopkins lunched together today, following which General Patton called to take Mr. Hopkins and Lt. Colonel Elliott Roosevelt downtown to shop and souvenir hunt and make an automobile tour of the waterfront and the business district of Casablanca.

During the afternoon, Lt. General H. H. Arnold called on the President.²⁵ He was followed by Rear Admiral J. L. Hall, U.S.N., Commander Western Task Force Sea Frontier, who departed at 4:30 P.M.

At 5:30 P.M., the Prime Minister and his son, Randolph Churchill a Captain in a Special Service Brigade (Commandos) paid a cal on the President and chatted until 6:20, when they left to return to “Mirador.”²⁶

Mr. Hopkins and his son, Robert, together with Mr. Harriman left the villa about 7:30 to take dinner with the Prime Minister and hi; son, Randolph. At this time, the President, Captain McCrea, and Lt. Col. Elliott Roosevelt also left the villa to have dinner with Major General G. S. Patton, Jr., at “Villa Mas,” General Patton’s head quarters. Also dining with the President and General Patton the evening were Rear Admiral C. M. Cooke, Jr., “U.S.N”., Major Genera Geoffrey Keyes, Deputy Commanding General, First Armored Corps Brigadier General A. W. Wedemeyer, Brigadier General W. H. Wilbur, in charge of Special Activities in the area now occupied by the First Armored Corps, Brigadier General John E. Hull, and Colonel H. R. Gay.²⁷

The President returned to “Dar es Saada” at 11:15 P.M., and a 11:20 P.M. the Prime Minister came in to chat with the President, Mr. Hopkins, and Lt. Col. Elliott Roosevelt until 1:00 A.M. the next morning, when the Prime Minister returned to his villa.²⁸

The President retired about 1:30.

Wednesday, 20 January

Lt. General Somervell arrived at Villa Dar es Saada at eight o’clock this morning to breakfast with Mr. Hopkins, and departed one hour later.²⁹ Major General Spaatz called at ten o’clock to keep an appointment with the President and departed at 11:30.³⁰ Mr. Robert Murphy also spent an hour at the President’s villa this morning conferring with the President and Mr. Hopkins.³¹

At 11:35, General Marshall, Lt. General Arnold, Lt. General Somervell, and Admiral E. J. King arrived for a conference with the President,³² and following this conference they were photographed on the terrace with the President, together with Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Harriman. After the photographs had been taken, the aforementioned Army and Navy officers departed, about 12:30.³³

Shortly after 1:00 P.M. the Prime Minister, Mr. Harriman, and Mr. Murphy and Mr. Macmillan called to have lunch with the President, Mr. Hopkins, and Lt. Col. Elliot Roosevelt, and departed just before 3:00 P.M.³⁴

At 5:00 P.M., the Prime Minister returned in company with General Giraud, and the General’s Civilian Aide, M. Poniatowski, and went into conference with the President, Mr. Hopkins, and Mr. Murphy until 5:55, when they took their departure.³⁵

At 7:45, the President left Villa Dar es Saada to dine as the guest of the Prime Minister at “Mirador.”³⁵ Also dining with the President and the Prime Minister this evening were:

• General H. R. L. G. Alexander
• Sir Charles Wilson
• Mr. T. L. Rowan (Private Secretary to the P.M.)
• Mr. J. M. Martin (Private Secretary to the P.M.)
• Mr. Harry Hopkins
• Mr. Averell Harriman
• Lt. Colonel Elliott Roosevelt
• Commander Thompson (Aide to the Prime Minister)
• Captain Randolph Churchill
• Sergeant Robert Hopkins

The President returned to his villa about 11:15 P.M. and retired shortly thereafter.

Thursday, 21 January

The President arose early this morning, breakfasted, and left Casablanca by automobile at 9:20 for an inspection of the United States Army forces stationed in the vicinity of Rabat, some 85 miles to the northeast. He was accompanied by Major General G. S. Patton, Jr., Commanding General First Armored Corps, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Harriman, Mr. Robert D. Murphy, and Rear Admiral Ross T. McIntire. Captain McCrea had gone on ahead to Rabat by automobile, accompanied by Brigadier General W. H. Wilbur, to deliver in person a letter³⁷ from the President to the Sultan of Morocco³⁸ inviting the Sultan and his entourage to take dinner with the President at Casablanca on 22 January. Captain McCrea joined the President’s party upon arrival at a point about five miles north of Rabat, where the President was to begin his inspection.

[Here follows the account of the President’s inspection trip.]

The President reached his villa in Casablanca at 5:20 P.M. He had been gone eight hours on his tour of inspection, traveling approximately 200 miles by automobile.

Following the President’s return to his villa at Casablanca, the Prime Minister called and remained with the President for an hour, departing at 7:25 P.M.³⁹ Dinner was a comparatively small affair, Admiral McIntire and Captain McCrea dining with the President, Mr. Hopkins, Sergeant Robert Hopkins, and the President’s son, Lt. Colonel Elliott Roosevelt. The President said that he had enjoyed himself immensely during this day in the open. He retired shortly after 9:30 for his longest night’s rest since arriving in North Africa.

Friday, 22 January

Mr. Hopkins was in conference with the Prime Minister from 9:45 until 11:55 A.M.,⁴⁰ returning just before noon in order to be present when the President and the Prime Minister were photographed with the Combined Chiefs of Staff.⁴¹ Several photographs were taken on the terrace of the President’s villa, and then the President bestowed the Congressional Medal of Honor on Brigadier General William H. Wilbur, U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action during the landing at Fedala on November 8, 1942. Under heavy fire, General Wilbur had succeeded in passing through the French lines in order to deliver certain important letters to French generals some 16 miles to the rear, and later, while returning to his own troops, had personally led a group of tanks which destroyed a French artillery unit observed to be effectively shelling our positions. The President made the presentation in the presence of the Prime Minister, General Marshall, and General Patton, and upon the conclusion of the ceremony extended his personal congratulations to General Wilbur, as did the Prime Minister and Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten.⁴²

The President and General Marshall lunched together at the President’s villa, no others being present. General Marshall departed at 2:30 P.M.⁴³

During the late afternoon, Mr. Harriman and Mr. Murphy conferred with the President, and Mr. Hopkins, separately and jointly.⁴⁴

The Sultan of Morocco had taken great pleasure in accepting the President’s dinner invitation which Captain McCrea had delivered at Rabat the day before. He arrived at the President’s villa at 7:40 together with his early ’teen age son, the Heir Apparent,⁴⁵ the Grand Vizier,⁴⁶ and his Chief of Protocol.⁴⁷

The Sultan and his entourage were magnificently attired in white silk robes and came bearing several presents—a gold-mounted dagger for the President in a beautiful inlaid teakwood case, and two golden bracelets and a high golden tiara for Mrs. Roosevelt. The President presented the Sultan with a personally-inscribed photograph of himself, in a beautiful heavy silver frame, engraved at the top with the seal of the President of the United States.

No alcoholic beverages were served before, during, or after the dinner, and care had been taken that no pork or pork products were served since these items are forbidden to true Mohammedans.

The dinner list was composed of the following list:

• The President
• The Sultan of Morocco (on the President’s right)
• The Prime Minister of Great Britain (to his left)
• General Charles A. Noguès, Resident General
• The Grand Vizier to the Sultan
• Major General Patton
• Mr. Robert Murphy
• The Crown Prince of Morocco
• The Chief of Protocol
• Mr. Hopkins
• Captain McCrea
• Lt. Colonel Elliott Roosevelt

The Sultan and his party left at 10:10 P.M. and were followed shortly thereafter by the Prime Minister, General Noguès, and General Patton.⁴⁸

General Charles de Gaulle had arrived in Casablanca from London at noon today, had lunched with General Giraud,⁴⁹ and at 6:30 P.M. had kept an appointment with Prime Minister Churchill.⁵⁰ These two conferred until the latter had to depart for dinner with the President and the Sultan of Morocco. General de Gaulle talked with the President from 10:20 until 10:55 P.M. Information as to the substance of the conversation between the President and General de Gaulle is contained in notes recorded separately by Captain McCrea.⁵¹

Following the departure of General de Gaulle at 10:55, the Prime Minister and Mr. Macmillan, plus the latter’s secretary, Mr. Mack, called on the President at 11:15 and conferred with him, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Hopkins until 12:30 A.M.⁵²

The President retired a half hour after the Prime Minister, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Macmillan, and Mr. Mack departed.

Saturday, 23 January

Mr. Hopkins had a number of callers during the morning, conferring at various times with Lt. General Arnold, Mr. Harriman, and Major General Patton.⁵³

The Prime Minister lunched with the President, Mr. Hopkins, and Lt. Col. Elliott Roosevelt at 1: 30 P.M. He departed at 2:45 P.M.⁵⁴

Mr. Murphy and Mr. Macmillan called during the afternoon at 3:50 and departed at 4:10, again calling at 4:30 and leaving at 5:15.⁵⁵

The Prime Minister arrived at the President’s villa at 4:45 to talk with the President prior to a final meeting of the Combined Chiefs of Staff scheduled for 5:30.⁵⁵ The American and British military, naval, and air chiefs conferred with the President and the Prime Minister, in the dining room of the President’s villa from 5:30 until 7:50 P.M. This was the last large-scale meeting of the ten-day conference period fast drawing to a close.⁵⁶

There were no guests at dinner tonight. The President and Mr. Hopkins dined with their sons, Lt. Col. Elliott Roosevelt and Sergeant Robert Hopkins.

After dinner, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Macmillan and Mr. Mack called to see Mr. Hopkins,⁵⁷ and at 10:30 the President sent for Chief Ship’s Clerk Terry to dictate some “background material” which the President planned to give to the correspondents who were to attend the press conference scheduled for 11:00 A.M. the following day.⁵⁸

When Mr. Terry returned shortly after midnight with the transcription of the President’s dictation, he found the Prime Minister and his son, Randolph, in conference with the President and Mr. Hopkins.⁵⁷

In the next two hours, the final draft of a cable to Mr. Stalin,⁵⁹ reporting the highlights of the meeting, was agreed upon as was also the text of the joint communiqué⁶⁰ to be issued next day to the press representatives for actual release to the press of the world the following Wednesday.

Mr. Murphy, Mr. Macmillan, and Mr. Mack left the President’s villa at 2:10 A.M., and the Prime Minister and his son took their departure at 2:30. The President retired a few minutes later.

Sunday, 24 January

General Henri Giraud called at 11:05 and had an audience with the President until 11:40.⁶¹ Major General Charles de Gaulle had arrived while General Giraud was in conference with the President, and following General Giraud’s departure, went in to talk to the President, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Macmillan.⁶²

While General de Gaulle was with the President, General Giraud returned, and a few minutes later the Prime Minister appeared.⁶³

These four, the President, the Prime Minister, General Giraud, and General de Gaulle then repaired to the lawn in the rear of the President’s villa where they posed for moving and still pictures. While the cameras “turned over”, the two generals shook hands.⁶⁴

Then Generals Giraud and de Gaulle bade farewell to the President and the Prime Minister and withdrew.

A few minutes after twelve, the President, with the Prime Minister seated at his left, invited the assembled newspapermen to sit down on the lawn and make themselves comfortable for the discussion which was to follow. It was a beautiful day, brilliant with sunshine, and with these two great men seated before them, the assembled correspondents heard a complete description of the purpose of bringing the British and American Chiefs of Staff together here in North Africa, together with the heads of their respective governments, and a general description of what had been accomplished.

Both the President and the Prime Minister reaffirmed the decision that no effort would be spared until the unconditional surrender of the Axis powers had been accomplished. (The notes of this press conference have been recorded separately.⁶⁷) When the discussion ended, the Prime Minister and the President asked the newspapermen to come up to shake hands, the President remarking that they should consider themselves an “elite group”, inasmuch as the great number of correspondents habitually attending routine press conferences in Washington precludes any thought of shaking hands.

Following the press conference, the President received General Charles A. Noguès, Resident General at Rabat, who had hurried down to Casablanca to say “au revoir” to the President upon being informed by telephone at 10:30 that the President’s departure was imminent.⁶⁸

At this time, the President also received Vice Admiral Michelier, the Commander-in-Chief of the French North African Fleet, who had called to pay his respects.⁶⁸

Heavy baggage, collected the night before, had been stowed in the planes and flown to Marrakech. The motorcade was waiting when the President departed from his villa at a few minutes past one o’clock in the afternoon, and at 1:25, the party was on its way to Marrakech, 150 miles almost due south of Casablanca, but well inland.

Besides his own immediate group, the President was accompanied by the Prime Minister, his son, Captain Randolph Churchill, Sir Charles Wilson, the Prime Minister’s aide, Commander Thompson, and his two private secretaries, Mr. Rowan and Mr. Martin.

At three o’clock, the cars were halted at the roadside for a basket lunch packed by the British consisting of several kinds of sandwiches, hard boiled eggs, and mincemeat tarts.

At 5:45, the party arrived at Marrakech, a very old Berber and Arab town, going directly to a large villa now occupied by the U.S. Vice Consul at Marrakech, Mr. Kenneth Pendar. This villa was placed at his disposal by the wife of the American millionaire, Moses Taylor. It was most beautiful, set in the midst of an olive grove. Its courtyards were filled with orange trees, flowers, and shrubs. There was a fountain or pool and inlaid marble floors all furnished in splendor befitting a Sultan.

The President and the Prime Minister, together with Admiral McIntire, Captain McCrea, and several others, ascended to the top of a 60-foot tower which crowned the villa, to view the sunset and the towering Atlas mountains, many miles away, as the bells tolled from Mosque towers summoning the faithful to evening prayer.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The President and the Prime Minister were dinner guests of Mr. Pendar this evening, as were the following:⁶⁹

• Sir Charles Wilson
• Mr. Averell Harriman
• Mr. Harry Hopkins
• Admiral McIntire
• Captain McCrea
• Mr. Martin
• Mr. Rowan
• Commander Thompson
• Colonel Beasley
• Captain Randolph Churchill
• Sergeant Robert Hopkins

Monday, 25 January

At the last minute, as the President and his party left for the airport at 7:45 this morning, the Prime Minister, deciding to accompany him, got into the President’s automobile in bathrobe and slippers. Marrakech was the place where the trail split. Au revoirs were said.

At eight o’clock, the planes took off toward Bathurst, 1400 miles to the southward, crossing the Atlas Mountains in flight. In another hour, the planes flew through a pass at 9,000 feet and emerged finally over the endless wastes of sand first seen when flying up on 14 January.

. . . . . . .⁷⁰

1. No record of the substance of this meeting has been found.
2. See the editorial note, post, p. 557.
3. For the Joint Chiefs of Staff Minutes of this meeting, see post, p. 558.
4. See the editorial note, post, p. 563.
5. According to the accounts of this conversation in Eisenhower, Crusade in Europe, pp. 136–138, and Elliott Roosevelt, pp. 78–79, the subjects discussed included the French North African political situation, the question of arming French military forces in North Africa, and the Allied military campaign in Tunisia.
6. No official record of this meeting has been found. Elliott Roosevelt did not attend, but overheard enough to be able to recall that the subject was French North African politics, including specifically the choice of Giraud as the chief administrator in the area (Elliott Roosevelt, p. 80).
7. For the minutes of the meeting of the Combined Chiefs of Staff with Roosevelt and Churchill, see post, p. 573.
8. No record of the substance of this meeting has been found.
9. Regarding the calls made on Roosevelt on the morning of January 16, see the editorial note, post, p. 579.
10. No official record of the substance of the discussion at this luncheon has been found, but for a brief account, see Elliott Roosevelt, pp. 85–86.
11. See the minutes of Roosevelt’s meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, post, p. 594.
12. For the record of this meeting, see post, p. 606.
13. No record of the substance of this meeting has been found.
14. No official record of this meeting has been found. There is a brief account of what appears to be this conversation in Mark W. Clark, Calculated Risk (New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1950), pp. 131, 147–148. There is also a passing reference to the meeting in Elliott Roosevelt, p. 89.
15. For the record of this meeting, see post, p. 609.
16. See the editorial note, post, p. 612.
17. No official record of the President’s conversations with Hopkins, Murphy, and Clark have been found. According to the account in Elliott Roosevelt, p. 92, the subject under discussion was the planning of American policy on the setting up of an interim French government. Clark, Calculated Risk, p. 148, only mentions that he saw the President on this day.
18. See the editorial note, post, p. 626.
19. For the record of this meeting, see post, p. 627.
20. No record of the substance of this conversation has been found.
21. Elliott Roosevelt, p. 95, gives a brief account of this conference but does not include Hopkins among the participants.
22. No record of the substance of this conversation has been found.
23. For the record of this meeting, see post, p. 644.
24. Photographs appear following p. 483.
25. No official records of the visits of Lieutenant General Arnold and Rear Admiral Hall have been found.
26. No official record of the substance of the discussion at this meeting has been found; for a brief account, see Elliott Roosevelt, pp. 96–97.
27. No official record of this dinner has been found; for a brief account, se Elliott Roosevelt, pp. 97–98.
28. No official record of this meeting has been found; for a brief account, see ibid., p. 99.
29. No record of the substance of this meeting has been found.
30. No official record of this meeting has been found; see the account in Elliott Roosevelt, pp. 100–102.
31. No official record of this conference has been found; Elliott Roosevelt, p. 102, indicates that the French North African political situation was the subject of discussion.
32. No record of the substance of this meeting has been found.
33. Photographs follow p. 483.
34. See the editorial note, post, p. 662.
35. See the editorial note, post, p. 666.
35. See the editorial note, post, p. 666.
37. No copy of this letter has been found.
38. Sidi Mohammed ben Youssef.
39. See the editorial note, post, p. 679.
40. For an account of this meeting, see Hopkins’ notes regarding the proceedings of January 22, in Sherwood, pp. 687–690.
41. Photographs follow p. 483.
42. For Hopkins’ reflections in connection with this ceremony, see his notes regarding the proceedings of January 22, in Sherwood, p. 688.
43. No official record of the substance of this meeting has been found. Although he did not participate in the luncheon, Elliott Roosevelt (pp. 108–109) recalls overhearing the portion of the conversation which touched on various aspects of the joint American-British strategic plans for 1943. In his notes regarding the proceedings of January 22 (Sherwood, p. 689), Hopkins states that he joined in at the very end of the Roosevelt–Marshall conversation which at that point was concerned with the Tunisian campaign and the problem of rearming the French.
44. No official records of the substance of these conferences have been found. Hopkins’ note regarding the proceedings of January 22 (Sherwood, p. 689) record that the discussion centered on the outcome of the de Gaulle–Giraud luncheon that day.
45. Moulay Hassan.
46. Mohammed el Mokhri.
47. Si Mammeri.
48. Regarding the dinner party, see the editorial note, post, p. 693. A photograph appears following p. 483.
49. This first de Gaulle–Giraud meeting appears to be the one described in de Gaulle, p. 83, and Giraud, pp. 101–103.
50. For accounts of Churchill’s conversation with de Gaulle, see Churchill, Hinge of Fate, pp. 681–682, and de Gaulle, pp. 86–87.
51. For McCrea’s record of this meeting, see post, p. 694.
52. See the editorial note, post, p. 696.
53. No record of the substance of these meetings has been found.
54. See the editorial note, post, p. 704.
55. See the editorial note, post, p. 707.
55. See the editorial note, post, p. 707.
56. For record of the meeting of the Combined Chiefs of Staff with Roosevelt and Churchill, see post, p. 707.
57. See the editorial note, post, p. 722.
58. For text of Roosevelt’s notes for his press conference, see post, p. 836.
57. See the editorial note, post, p. 722.
59. For final text of the joint message from the President and the Prime Minister to Stalin as sent on January 25, 1943, see post, p. 805.
60. For final text of the joint communiqué see post, p. 847.
61. See the editorial note, post, p. 723.
62. See the editorial note, post, p. 724.
63. See the editorial note, post, p. 725.
64. Photographs follow p. 483.
67. For the transcript of the press conference of the President and the Prime Minister, see post, p. 726.
68. No record of the substance of this meeting has been found.
68. No record of the substance of this meeting has been found.
69. See the editorial note, post, p. 731.
70. The remaining portion of the Log is concerned with the President’s return trip by airplane, ship, and train to Washington, January 25–30, 1943. In the course of his return trip, the President visited Liberia on January 27, where he met with President Edwin Barclay, and Brazil on January 28, where he met with President Getulio Vargas. For a report on the President’s visit to Liberia, see despatch 15, January 28, 1943, from Monrovia, Liberia, Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. iv, p. 656; for the report on the visit released by the White House to the press on January 28, 1943, see Department of State Bulletin, vol. viii, January 30, 1943, pp. 94–95. For documentation regarding the conference between President Roosevelt and President Vargas at Natal, Brazil, on January 28, see Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. v, pp. 653 ff.; for the report on the visit to Brazil released by the White House to the press on January 30, 1943, see Department of State Bulletin, vol. viii, January 30, 1943, p. 95.