Foreign Relations of the United States, Conferences at Washington and Quebec, 1943

Hopkins Papers

Prime Minister Churchill to the President’s Special Assistant (Hopkins) and the President’s Personal Representative (Harriman)¹

secret

[En Route by Air to Algiers, May 26, 1943.]

Pencil , No. 406. Prime Minister to Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Harriman. Most secret.

I suggest the remodelling of the last paragraph to bring it into line with our somewhat different procedure.

Please also see General Marshall’s suggested amendment.

W[inston] S. C[hurchill]

26. 5. 43

[Enclosure]

Recommendations Regarding Shipping, Prepared by Prime Minister Churchill

[En Route by Air to Algiers, May 26, 1943.]

Present estimates of shipping facilities indicate that there will be up to the middle of 1944 no surplus for any additional military operation that may become necessary.

Searching and continued examination on a combined basis of civilian requirements has set free a very large tonnage of shipping for military purposes.

As the major portion of our combined shipping resources is employed on military work, notable gain for additional operations might be made by subjecting military overseas supply requirements of both countries to an immediate scrutiny, conducted by appropriate officers of our two armies.

The President requests the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, through his nominee, to conduct (in Washington) this scrutiny, in consultation with the Chairman of the Munitions Assignments Board.²

The Prime Minister will institute a similar enquiry in London by means of a Cabinet Committee under the Chairmanship of Mr. Oliver Lyttelton, Minister of Production, with the Secretaries of State for War and Air, the Minister of War Transport and the Paymaster-General (Lord Cherwell) as members. The reports will be interchanged between the two countries, and will be submitted to the President and the Prime Minister jointly and severally.

W[inston] S C[hurchill]

26 v

1. This message and the enclosed paper on recommendations regarding shipping were apparently flown to Washington from Botwood, Newfoundland, where the Prime Minister’s aircraft stopped for refueling en route to Algiers.
2. A marginal note in Churchill’s handwriting indicates that this sentence was subject to the “amendment suggested by Gen. Marshall.” Marshall’s interlinear alterations made the sentence read: “The President requests the U.S. Chiefs of Staff, through their nominee, to conduct (in Washington) this scrutiny, in consultation with the Chairman of the Munitions Assignments Board.”