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

Editorial Note

Leahy’s Diary records that the Governor General’s dinner party on August 17, 1943 (see ante, p. 839), dispersed at 11:30 p.m., leaving Roosevelt and Churchill in conversation (Leahy Papers). According to the Log, ante, p. 840, Roosevelt and Churchill held discussions after dinner on August 17 “until a late hour.” No record of the discussion has been found, as it was not Roosevelt’s practice to record his private conversations with Churchill. For this reason it has often been impossible to determine precisely when Roosevelt and Churchill discussed particular subjects during the course of the First Quebec Conference. At some time during the conference, however, the conferees gave their attention to the following subjects in addition to those mentioned later in connection with specific meetings:

1. Approval of joint messages to Stalin and Chiang. See post, pp. 1059, 1062, 1063, 1091, 1095, 1159, 1160.

2. Approval of joint instructions to Eisenhower. See post, pp. 1060, 1161.

3. Acquisition of bases in the Azores. See post, p. 1091.

4. Acquisition of bases in Ireland. See ante, p. 618, fn. 1.

5. Terms of surrender for Italy. See post, p. 1161; Hull, p. 1232.

6. Iran. According to a memorandum by Dunn dated August 30, 1943, Eden spoke to Hull about Iran at Quebec and Hull said that he would be glad to have a memorandum on the subject. For Dunn’s memorandum and a British memorandum headed “Situation in Persia” (dated at Quebec on August 25 but delivered in Washington on August 28), see Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. IV, pp. 381–383.

7. Civil aviation policy. According to a memorandum by Assistant Secretary of State Adolf A. Berle, Jr., dated November 11, 1943, Roosevelt told a group of advisers on November 10 “that he had begun to discuss aviation policy with Prime Minister Churchill at Quebec”. See Foreign Relations, The Conferences at Cairo and Tehran, 1943, p. 177. Cf. post, 1339.

8. The possibilities of Basic English as an international language. See F.D.R.: His Personal Letters, 1928–1945, edited by Elliott Roosevelt assisted by Joseph P. Lash (New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1950), vol. II, p. 1514.