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

Roosevelt Papers: Telegram

Prime Minister Churchill to President Roosevelt ¹

most secret

London, 3 August 1943.

Former Naval Person to President. Personal and most secret. Number 399.

I am sorry not to have answered your number 321² in reply to my 373.³ I thought first that your proposed formula was rather chilling and would not end the agitation there is for recognition in both our countries. Meanwhile, events have moved in our favour. The Committee have felt acutely being ignored while the whole Italian problem is open. De Gaulle, I feel, has climbed down a good deal and is now more enclosed in the general body of the Committee. The arrangements for command also seem more satisfactory to us than the previous deadlock.

I have, therefore, asked the Foreign Office to suggest a certain modification in your formula designed to bring our two views into harmony. Please note especially the sentence “The Committee will, of course, afford whatever military and economic facilities and securities in the territories under its administration are required by the Governments of the United States and the United Kingdom for the prosecution of the war.” This gives us complete power to override or break with them in the event of bad faith or misconduct. Revised formula follows in my next.⁴ Please let me know what you think of it or how it could be improved. If we cannot agree we will talk it over at Quadrant .

1. Channel of transmission to Washington not indicated. Forwarded by the White House Map Room to Roosevelt, who was then at Birch Island, Ontario, Canada. A copy was made available to the Department of State by the British Embassy at Washington on August 3 (851.01/8–343).
2. See Foreign Relations, 1943, vol ii, pp. 175–177.
3. See ibid., pp. 173–175.
4. Infra.