Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, The Conferences at Cairo and Tehran, 1943

Roosevelt Papers

Memorandum by the Ambassador to the Soviet Union (Harriman)

secret
Memorandum of Conversation

Cairo, November 23, 1943.

While waiting to see the President, I followed up Mr. Hopkins’ request that I obtain more information about the attitude of the Soviets on some of the Mediterranean problems.

I bluntly told Vyshinski of the serious view we took of the French Committee’s actions in Lebanon.¹ I said we could not permit the French Committee to destroy the confidence of the world in the sincerity of American principles on freedom and democracy. I asked him what the Soviet Government’s views were in the matter. He said he had not been instructed but he was quite sure there could be no other point of view for his Government.

Next I asked him what he thought about the King of Italy. He said he was going to keep his mind open till he could judge the situation on the ground but he certainly made it clear that he was predisposed not to favor the retention of the King. He said “We have all stated the principles which we are going to apply in Italy as agreed to in the Moscow Conference and these certainly must be put into effect.”² He said that any elements or institutions which tend to impede these principles will have to be moved out of the path and anything that assists in the implementation of these principles should be encouraged.

I then asked him whether he had any recent information about Mikhailovic [Mihailović]. He said he had none. I said I had none either but I thought it was time to tell Mikhailovic “that he should fish, cut bait, or go ashore.” He heartily agreed with this statement and added that, from his point of view, up to the present Mikhailovic had not only not been helpful in the prosecution of the war but had even been harmful.

1. The situation in Lebanon, to which reference is made at this point, is described ante, p. 84, footnote 2.
2. The reference is to the democratic, anti-Fascist principles set forth in the Declaration Regarding Italy, issued on November 1, 1943, at the conclusion of the Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers. For text of the Declaration, see Decade, p. 12.