Visit of King George II to the United States

[Plans were made public by the Department of State on November 17, 1941, that King George II would visit the United States shortly for a three-week visit. Four days later, the Department announced that the visit had been postponed. For relevant press releases, see Department of State Bulletin, November 22, 1941, page 406.

On February 27, 1942, the Greek Minister, Cimon P. Diamantopoulos, informed the Under Secretary of State, Sumner Welles, that King George II had expressed the earnest hope he might return from Egypt to England by way of the United States, his visit to be on an informal basis. On March 2, Mr. Welles informed the Greek Minister that President Roosevelt had approved the visit on this basis. (868.001G291/86⅓)

The King, accompanied by the Greek Prime Minister, Emmanuel Tsouderos, and a small party, arrived in Washington on June 10. The itinerary planned for the early part of the King’s visit is printed in the Department of State Bulletin, June 6, page 523. On June 26, the King handed to President Roosevelt copies of memoranda regarding the drafting of Greek subjects in the United States, dated June 15 (page 818), the financial problems of the Greek Government, dated June 15 (page 798), and the post-war aims of Greece, dated June 12 (page 822), and a photographic record of conditions in Greece. The President expressed his appreciation for the documents left with him in a letter to the King on July 7 which stated: “I understand that Mr. Tsouderos has handed copies of these memoranda to the Secretary [Page 798] and the Under Secretary of State and that they are already receiving the attention of the appropriate officials of this Government.” (868.00/1157)

President Roosevelt and King George ended their conversations on July 9 and prepared a joint statement which was released by the White House the same day. This statement is printed in the Department of State Bulletin, July 11, page 601. The statement indicated the Secretary of State and the Greek Prime Minister would sign on the following day an agreement on the principles applying to mutual aid in the prosecution of the war.

For correspondence on the Lend-Lease Agreement between the United States and Greece, signed July 10, see pages 814 ff.

For comment by the Secretary of State on December 14 regarding the visit of King George, see footnote 71, page 800.]