Office of the Historian

Roosevelt Papers: Telegram

President Roosevelt to Prime Minister Churchill 1

secret
[Hyde Park,] August 28, 1943.

From the President to Colonel Warden. Personal and secret Number 348.

It is a coincidence that I was on the point of sending you a suggestion for an interim message to Uncle Joe when yours2 came this morning. Therefore, I am sending the one you suggest via the Russian Embassy in Washington.3

I am delighted, as Quebec papers say, you are teasing the trout, but I do not believe New York newspaper accounts that you have landed a five pounder. I shall require sworn verification.

We are looking forward to your arrival Wednesday evening.

Am checking with Dr. Conant in regard to degree4 and will let you know.

We will be listening to you on the air on Tuesday.

  1. Sent as telegram No. Black 16 to the White House Map Room with instructions to forward the message to Churchill via the British Embassy in Washington.↩
  2. Supra. ↩
  3. The text suggested by Churchill was forwarded to Stalin by the White House Map Room on August 28, 1943, via the Soviet Embassy in Washington. It was received in Moscow on August 29. See Stalin’s Correspondence, vol. i, p. 151; vol. ii, p. 87.↩
  4. The honorary degree to be conferred on Churchill by Harvard University.↩