Office of the Historian

740.0011 P. W./741: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)

Washington, December 8, 1941—8 a.m.

5743. From the President. Your 5929, December 7 [8], 4 p.m. [a.m.] “I think it best on account of psychology here that formal [Page 733] British declaration of war be withheld until after my speech8 at 12:30 Washington time. I am asking for declaration.9 Any time after that would be wholly satisfactory.10

Delighted to know of message to de Valera. Roosevelt.”

Hull
  1. For text of President Roosevelt’s message to Congress on December 8, see Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, p. 793.↩
  2. For the declaration of a state of war with Japan, see ibid., p. 795.↩
  3. British Prime Minister Churchill made his statement to the House of Commons at 3 p.m., London time (10 a.m., Washington time), December 8; for text, see United Kingdom, Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 5th series, vol. 376, p. 1358.↩