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

740.0011 EW 1939/17466½: Telegram

Prime Minister Churchill to President Roosevelt ¹

triple priority

London , December 12, 1941.

Most secret and personal from the Prime Minister to the President.

1. We feel it necessary to divert Eighteenth Division now rounding the Cape in your transports to Bombay to reinforce army we are forming against Japanese invasion of Burma and Malay. I hope you will allow your ships to take them there instead of to Suez. Route is both shorter and safer.²

2. Our previous telegrams. Thank you so much. Hope rendezvous will be about 21st. I am enormously relieved at turn world events have taken.

1. Sent as telegram 6012 over Winant’s signature to the Secretary of State.
2. The convoy was rerouted as requested; see Churchill’s remark at the meeting of December 23, post, p. 74.