Moscow Embassy Files: Lot F–96
The American Chargé in the Soviet Union (Henderson) to the People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union (Molotov)
Excellency: I have the honor to inform you that I have been instructed to transmit the following message dated December 2, 1942, from President Roosevelt to Premier Stalin.
“The more I consider our mutual military situation and the necessity for reaching early strategic decisions, the more persuaded I am that you, Churchill and I should have an early meeting.
“It seems to me that a conference of our military leaders alone will not be sufficient, first, because they could come to no ultimate decisions without our approval and secondly, because I think we should come to some tentative understanding about the procedures which should be adopted in event of a German collapse.
“My most compelling reason is that I am very anxious to have a talk with you. My suggestion would be that we meet secretly in some secure place in Africa that is convenient to all three of us. The time, about January 15th to 20th.
“We would each of us bring a very small staff of our top army, air and naval commanders.
[Page 666]“I hope that you will consider this proposal favorably because I can see no other way of reaching the vital strategic decisions which should be made soon by all of us together. If the right decision is reached, we may, and I believe will, knock Germany out of the war much sooner than we anticipated.
“I can readily fly, but I consider Iceland or Alaska out of the question at this time of the year. Some place can, I think, be found in southern Algeria or at or near Khartoum where all visitors: and press can be kept out. As a mere suggestion as to date would you think of sometime around January 15.”
Accept [etc.]
Secretary of Embassy