Office of the Historian

861.24/638: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Steinhardt)

Washington, September 29, 1941—10 a.m.

1093. Your 1718, September 28, 4 p.m.91 For Harriman from the President. My letter September 17 delayed in transit, later destroyed.

Will you please deliver following personal message from me to His Excellency the President of the Soviet of People’s Commissars of the U. S. S.R.:

“My Dear Mr. Stalin: This note will be presented to you by my friend Averell Harriman, whom I have asked to be head of our delegation to Moscow.

Mr. Harriman is well aware of the strategic importance of your front and will, I know, do everything that he can to bring the negotiations in Moscow to a successful conclusion.

Harry Hopkins has told me in great detail of his encouraging and satisfactory visits with you. I can’t tell you how thrilled all of us are because of the gallant defense of the Soviet armies.

I am confident that ways will be found to provide the material and supplies necessary to fight Hitler on all fronts, including your own.

I want particularly to take this occasion to express my great confidence that your armies will ultimately prevail over Hitler and to assure you of our great determination to be of every possible material assistance.

Yours very sincerely, Franklin D. Roosevelt.”92

  • [Roosevelt]
  • Hull
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. This letter was issued in a White House press release of October 8, 1941, to correct a false German announcement made in Berlin on the same day by the official news agency Deutsches Nachrichtenbüro; see Department of State Bulletin, October 11, 1941, p. 276.↩