851R.01/52½
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Welles) to the Acting Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Atherton)
Mr. Atherton: What the President desired is not that this matter be deferred until Admiral Standley returns to Moscow but to send immediately a message to Henderson letting the Russian Government know that we would, of course, be glad to keep them fully informed of all of our thoughts and intentions with regard to North Africa, and give him an outline of our policy.
If we do not take this attitude, I think you can understand how difficult it will be to get any information with regard to what the Russian Government may be planning concerning Finland, et cetera. In other words, I think a message of the character I have suggested should be sent immediately and that the question of policy involved is in the highest degree important.
There is no question of binding ourselves to anything. It is merely the form of reciprocal information which is in the highest degree desirable between the chief members of the United Nations.