Roosevelt Papers: Telegram

Prime Minister Churchill to President Roosevelt 1

most secret

Former Naval Person to President. Personal and most secret. Number 380.

Following is paraphrase of message to Mackenzie King referred to in paragraph 2 of my number 378.2 Paraphrase begins:

My telegram number 1783 for High Commissioner Canada (second telegram contained in Former Naval Person telegram number 377 to [Page 399] President3) was submitted by me to the President. Insuperable difficulties are seen by him in the Canadian Chiefs of Staff attending plenary meetings of the Combined Chiefs of Staff. President points out that this will almost certainly result in an immediate demand from both Brazil and China for membership of the Combined Staffs in Washington, also from Mexico. And from other British Dominions and allied nations as well. McCarthy so President tells me has left for Ottawa to explain the position to you.

I must say I see the difficulties as very little business can of course be done when large numbers are present. It therefore seems to me that the British and Canadian staffs should confer together as may be necessary but that at the combined meetings of the two principal Allies, the British alone should be represented.

As he is coming by the same method as last time and runs on schedule Colonel Warden and the whole party will arrive on the 10th at “ Abraham ”. He hopes no preparations or plans of any kind will be made until he is well away. The British-Canadian staffs discussions can take place while awaiting the arrival of PQ and we can formally confer on various outstanding important imperial questions.

For meaning of PQ see my immediately following.

  1. Channel of transmission not indicated.
  2. See above.
  3. Ante, p. 395.