Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1942, Europe, Volume III

Moscow Embassy Files: Lot F–96

The President of the Council of People’s Commissars of the Soviet Union (Stalin) to President Roosevelt ¹⁸

Moscow, December 13, 1942

[Translation]

I must express also my deep regret that it is impossible for me to leave the Soviet Union either in the immediate future or in the beginning of March. Affairs connected with the front do not permit it. On the contrary, they require my constant presence near our forces.

I am not yet aware exactly what questions, Mr. President, you and Mr. Churchill desire to consider at our common meeting. Would it not be possible to give consideration to these questions through an exchange of correspondence between us so long as there is no possibility of our arranging to meet? I presume that there would be no disagreements among us.

Permit me also to express confidence that time will not be wasted and the promises with regard to the opening of the second front in Europe which were given by you, Mr. President, and by Mr. Churchill in relation to the year 1942, and now in any case with respect to the spring of 1943, will be fulfilled and the second front in Europe will actually be opened by the joint forces of Great Britain and the United States in the Spring of the coming year.

In view of widespread rumors of all sorts with respect to the attitude of the U.S.S.R. to the question of making use of Darlan¹⁹ and figures like him, it might be useful to inform you that in my opinion and in the opinion of my colleagues the policy of Eisenhower²⁰ with respect to Darlan, Boisson,²¹ Giraud,²² and others—absolutely correct.²³ I consider it a great accomplishment that you succeeded in bringing Darlan and others into the orbit of the Allies against Hitler. I informed Mr. Churchill about that at the time.

18. This message was sent on December 13, 1942, to the Soviet Ambassador in the United States to deliver to the President. Copy was handed to the American Chargé, Loy W. Henderson, by Foreign Commissar Molotov in Moscow on the evening of December 15, 1942.
19. Adm. Jean François Darlan, High Commissioner of French North and West Africa.
20. Lt. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was the Allied Commander in Chief in North Africa.
21. Pierre Boisson, Governor General of French West Africa, under Vichy régime, which he brought over to the Allies on November 24, 1942.
22. Henri Giraud, French General who had escaped from a German prison camp and had been brought by the Allies to North Africa with the intention of placing him in charge of all of the French military and naval forces there.
23. For the explanations of the policy adopted toward French leaders in North Africa given to the Soviet Government, see pp. 482–485, passim.