861.24/512½
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Secretary of State
The British Ambassador32 called to see me this evening.
I informed the Ambassador of the nature of the conversation which the President had had with the Soviet Ambassador today33 and I made it clear to the Ambassador that the President had stated to Mr. Oumansky that this Government would undertake to supply urgently to the Soviet Union such of the orders which the Soviet Government desired to place in the United States which it might find it possible to ship and that the President had emphasized the fact that whatever was sent of an urgent character should actually reach the Soviet Union before October 1 at the latest. I added that the President had [Page 789] made clear his own opinion that if the Russians could hold the Germans until October 1 that that would be of great value in defeating Hitler since after that date no effective military operations with Russia could be carried on and the consequent tying up of a number of German troops and machines for that period of time would be of great practical value in assuring the ultimate defeat of Hitler. The President had also stressed his belief that the more machines the Germans were forced to use up in the Russian campaign, the more certain would be the rapidity with which Germany would be defeated since he did not believe that the ability for replacement on the part of Germany was nearly as great as that which had been supposed. Finally, I said, the President had laid particular stress upon the fact that whatever it was decided by this Government to send to Russia would be the subject of consultation between this Government and the British Government since it was a matter of common concern to all three Governments that the supplies which this country might have available be utilized in those particular places where, from the military standpoint, they might prove to be most useful.