White House Files

Log of the Trip

[Page 656] [Page 657]
Thursday, December 2nd
. . . . . . .1
2:35 p.m. (Cairo time). The President’s plane arrived at Cairo West airfield. We changed our clocks and watches (set them back 1½ hours) to conform to Zone Minus Two time. Air distance traveled from Teheran to Cairo (our route), 1,290 miles. The President disembarked and left the airport immediately via auto and proceeded to Ambassador Kirk’s villa in the Mena district of Cairo.
3:30 p.m. Ambassador Kirk called on the President.
4:00 p.m. The President summoned Lieutenant (jg) Rigdon and worked on official mail that had been received on our arrival here. There were no Congressional bills or executive orders in this particular pouch.
8:30 p.m. The President had dinner at his villa and had as his guests the Prime Minister, Mrs. Oliver, Admiral Leahy, Major Boettiger, Captain Randolph Churchill and Mr. Hopkins.2
The President received word this evening, from Ambassador Steinhardt at Ankara, that President Inonu would come to Cairo Saturday, December 4th, for a conference with President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill.3
We left Ambassador Harriman and Mr. Bohlen at Teheran. They were to remain there for a few days longer and then proceed on to Moscow.
The news story concerning the Cairo Conference (Nov. 22–26) broke officially this morning.4
. . . . . . .5
Friday, December 3rd. (At Cairo)
10:30 a.m. Mr. John S. [J.] McCloy, Assistant Secretary of War, called on Mr. Hopkins at the President’s villa.6
11:00 a.m. The President summoned Lieutenant (jg) Rigdon and worked on official mail that had arrived earlier in the day. He signed Congressional bills S630, S770, S862, S950, S1008, S1246, S1309, S1382, S. J. [Res.] 47; an executive order authorizing the Secretary of the Navy to take possession and operate the shipyard of the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation at Los Angeles; and a proclamation entitled “Day of Prayer”.
12:00 (noon) Major Boettiger left Cairo by plane (Major Otis F. Bryan pilot) for Adana, Turkey, to meet and accompany President General Ismet Inonu to Cairo.
1:30 p.m. The President had lunch at his villa with General Marshall, Admiral Leahy, Assistant Secretary of War John S. [J.] McCloy, Ambassador Winant and Mr. Hopkins.7
2:00 p.m. Mr. George Wadsworth, American Consul General at Beirut, Syria [Lebanon], called on the President.8
2:30 p.m. Ambassador Lincoln MacVeagh (to governments in exile of Greece and Yugoslavia) called on the President.9
4:40 p.m. The President worked on his mail. He read the “Fathers’ Draft Act” and announced his intention to sign the same at a later date.10
5:10 p.m. The President met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Admiral Leahy, General Marshall, Admiral King, General Arnold and Captain Royal).11
8:30 p.m. The President dined at his villa with the Prime Minister, Sir [Mr.] Anthony Eden, Admiral Leahy and Mr. Hopkins.12
Saturday, December 4th. (At Cairo)
7:30 a.m. Lt-General Somervell called on Mr. Hopkins at the President’s villa.13
9:30 a.m. Mr. Louis [Lewis] W. Douglas called on Mr. Hopkins at the President’s villa.13a
11:00 a.m. Plenary meeting of the President and the Prime Minister with the Combined Chiefs of Staff. Present: The President, the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Eden, Mr. Hopkins, Admiral Leahy, General Marshall, Admiral King, General Arnold, Admiral of the Fleet Cunningham, General Brooke, Air Chief Marshal Portal, Field Marshal Dill, Lt-General Ismay and Captain Royal.14
12:30 p.m. President Ismet Inonu of Turkey arrived in Cairo by U. S. Army plane. He was accompanied from Adana by Major John Boettiger, A. U. S.
5:00 p.m.

President Inonu and the Turkish delegation, accompanied by Ambassador Steinhardt, met with the President, the Prime Minister and Mr. Hopkins at the President’s villa.15 The following gentlemen comprised the Turkish delegation:

  • President General Ismet Inonu.
  • Foreign Minister Numan Menemencioglu.
  • Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Cevad Acikalin.
  • Mr. Sureyya Anderiman, the President’s Personal and Confidential Secretary.
  • Mr. Selim Sarper, Director General of the Press.
  • Undersecretary[’s] Chief of Cabinet Turgot [Torgut] Menemencioglu.
  • Foreign Minister’s Chief of Cabinet Sadi Kavur.
  • First Aide-de-Camp to the President Major Celal Uner.
  • Sir Hugh[e] Knatchbull-Hugessen, British Ambassador to Turkey.
  • Hon. Sergei Vinogradov, Soviet Ambassador to Turkey.
  • Hon. Laurence S.[A.] Steinhardt, United States Ambassador to Turkey.

8:30 p.m. The President was host at dinner at his villa.16 The dinner list included: The President, President Inonu, the Prime Minister, Sir [Mr.] Anthony Eden, Ambassador Vinogradov, Ambassador Sir Knatchbull-Hugessen, Mr. Anderiman, Mr. Mihailov, Mr. Sarper, Mr. Hopkins, Major Boettiger, Mr. Numan Menemencioglu, [Page 658] Ambassador Steinhardt, Mr. Acikalin, Admiral Leahy and Sir Alexander Cadogan.
Sunday, December 5th. (At Cairo)
11:30 a.m. Plenary meeting of the President and the Prime Minister with the Combined Chiefs of Staff.17 Present: The President, the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Eden, Mr. Hopkins, Admiral Leahy, General Marshall, Admiral King, General Arnold, Field Marshal Dill, General Brooke, Admiral of the Fleet Cunningham, Air Chief Marshal Portal, Lt. Gen. Clemay [Ismay], Brigadier Hollis and Captain Royal.
2:00 p.m. President Inonu and members of the Turkish delegation called on the President and Mr. Hopkins.18 (Callers included President Inonu; Hon. Numan Menemencioglu; Hon. Cevad Acikalin; Mr. Sureyya Anderiman; Mr. Selim Sarper; Mr. Sadi Kavur, and Ambassador Steinhardt.)
3:00 p.m. The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary Sir [Mr.] Anthony Eden, Air [Vice] Marshal George, Sir Alexander Cadogan, Ambassador Sir Hugh[e] Knatch-bull-Hugessen and Ambassador Sergei Vinogradov called at the President’s villa and joined in the meeting of the President and the Turkish delegation.19
4:00 p.m. The President, the Prime Minister and President Inonu, together with members of their military staffs and other delegates, moved to the garden of the President’s villa where they posed for motion pictures and still pictures.
4:30 p.m. The President worked on his mail. He signed the “Fathers’ Draft Act”.
5:00 p.m. The President met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Admiral Leahy, General Marshall, Admiral King, General Arnold and Captain Royal).20
8:30 p.m. The President attended a dinner at Mr. Casey’s villa given by the Prime Minister for President Inonu and President Roosevelt.21 The dinner list included: The President, the Prime Minister, President Inonu, Mr. [Page 659] Hopkins, Admiral Leahy, Ambassador Steinhardt, Sir [Mr.] Anthony Eden, Captain Randolph Churchill, Sir Alexander Cadogan, Ambassador Sir Hugh[e] Knatchbull-Hugessen, Commander Thompson, Ambassador Vinogradov, Hon. Numan Menemencioglu, Mr. Anderiman and Mr. Mihailov.
11:45 p.m. The President returned to his villa and retired. Colonel Elliot [t] Roosevelt arrived in Cairo, from Tunis, this afternoon. It was hoped that all phases of the conference might be concluded today so that we might depart for home tomorrow, but this was found to be impracticable due to the heavy work load already on the hands of the Combined Staffs.
Monday, December 6th. (At Cairo)
11:00 a.m. The President worked on his mail, cleaning up miscellaneous matters.
12:30 p.m. Ambassador Kirk brought his Legation officer staff to the President’s villa and they were presented to the President.
12:45 p.m. Lt-General Stilwell and Mr. John Davies called on the President.22
1:15 p.m. The President had lunch at his villa with the Prime Minister and Mr. Hopkins.23
2:30 p.m. President Inonu, the Prime Minister and Ambassador Vinogradov called on the President.24 During their conversation they agreed on a joint communiqué to be issued to the press25 concerning their talks, soon to be concluded.
4:00 p.m. From the rear steps of his villa, overlooking the garden, the President made a brief address to a detachment of U. S. Army military police (approximately 125) chosen from the MP company that had guarded his villa during [Page 660] his stay in Cairo. A copy of his talk is appended, marked Appendix “G”.26
4:30 p.m. Major General R. A. [K.] Sutherland (General Mac-Arthur’s Chief of Staff) called on the President.27
4:45 p.m. The Very Reverend Arthur Hughes, Chargé d’Affaires, Apostolic Delegation, Cairo, called on the President.28
5:00 p.m. His Majesty King George II of the Hellenes (Greece) called on the President.29
6:00 p.m. President Inonu and Prime Minister Churchill met with the President.30 At the conclusion of this meeting a communiqué, agreed on at an earlier conference between these three heads of governments, was given to the press for release at a future date. A copy is appended marked Appendix “H”.31
7:15 p.m. Plenary meeting of the President and the Prime Minister with the Combined Chiefs of Staff.32 Present: The President, Mr. Hopkins, Admiral Leahy, General Marshall, Admiral King, General Arnold, Captain Royal, the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary Eden, General Brooke, Air Chief Marshal Portal, Admiral of the Fleet Cunningham, Field Marshal Dill, Field Marshal Jan C. Smuts, Lt-General Ismay, Brigadier H. Redman. All meetings and conferences in which the President took part in Cairo were held at his villa.
8:30 p.m. The President had dinner at his villa. His only guest was Field Marshal Jan C. Smuts.33
Colonel Elliot [t] Roosevelt departed Cairo this afternoon for Tunis.
The final three days at Cairo were extremely busy ones for the President and for Mr. Hopkins. There were numerous conferences, many without a break between, so that there was no opportunity for a rest. Although today marked the official close of the Cairo Conference, the Combined Chiefs of Staff found it necessary to [Page 661] remain behind for a few days longer in order to complete certain staff work.
All members of our party were extremely tired now and anxious to get started homeward.
During our second visit to Cairo the weather was delightful. The mosquitoes and flies were bothersome, however.
Excellent care was taken of our party while we were in Cairo, for which credit is due Major General Royce and Brigadier General Cheaves [Cheves].
Tuesday, December 7th. (At Cairo and en route Tunis)
7:30 a.m. The President and members of his party left his villa for the airport.
8:05 a.m. The President arrived Cairo West airport. He bade goodbye to the Prime Minister, Ambassadors Steinhardt and Kirk, General Royce and a number of other officers from our Middle East Command who had accompanied him to the airport.34
8:20 a.m. The President embarked and his plane departed Cairo for Tunis. In the President’s plane were: The President, Mr. Hopkins, Admiral Leahy, Admiral Brown, Admiral McIntire, General Watson, Major Boettiger, Lt-Commander Fox, Lieutenant (jg) Rigdon, Sergeant Robert Hopkins, Secret Service Agents Spaman, Haman and Fredericks and Steward Prettyman.
. . . . . . .35
  1. For the passage on the earlier hours of this day, see ante, p. 471.
  2. See post, p. 668.
  3. See post, p. 664.
  4. For the communiqué on the First Cairo Conference, December 1, 1943, see ante, p. 448.
  5. The passage omitted here, entitled “Miscellaneous Notes on Tehran”, is printed ante, p. 473.
  6. No record of what was said during this call has been found. It presumably related to the draft agreement with which McCloy was particularly concerned at this time. See ante, p. 445, and post, p. 790.
  7. No record of the luncheon discussion has been found. See, however, post, p. 853, footnote 2.
  8. See post, p. 853.
  9. See post, p. 844.
  10. See the Log item for December 5, 4:30 p.m., post, p. 658.
  11. No minutes of this meeting have been found.
  12. See the editorial note, post, p. 674.
  13. No record of what was said during this call has been found.
  14. No record of what was said during this call has been found.
  15. See post, p. 675.
  16. See post, p. 690.
  17. See the editorial note, post, p. 698.
  18. See post, p. 705. According to the minutes, the meeting began at 11 o’clock.
  19. See the editorial note, post, p. 711.
  20. See post, p. 711. According to the minutes, three additional British representatives were present.
  21. No minutes of this meeting have been found. See, however, the editorial note, post, p. 725.
  22. See the editorial note, post, p. 734.
  23. No official record of this conversation has been found. Stilwell’s notes on the talk, apparently verbatim, are printed in The Stilwell Papers, pp. 251–254. Hopkins was there for a part of the discussion and Elliott Roosevelt seems to have heard most of the conversation. See Elliott Roosevelt, pp. 207–208. The Stilwell Papers refer (p. 251) to a “fourth American” who was present. This was John P. Davies, Jr., whose notes on the discussion agree in all essential points with those published in The Stilwell Papers. See also Stilwell’s Command Problems, pp. 71–73.
  24. See the editorial note, post, p. 738.
  25. See the editorial note, post, p. 739.
  26. The text of the communiqué is printed post, p. 831.
  27. Not reproduced herein.
  28. No record of what was said during this call has been found.
  29. See the editorial note, post, p. 739.
  30. See the editorial note, post, p. 740.
  31. See post, p. 740. According to the minutes, the meeting began at 5 p.m.
  32. The text of the communiqué is printed post, p. 831.
  33. See post, p. 747. According to the minutes, the meeting began at 7:30 p.m.
  34. No official record of the conversation during this dinner has been found. A very brief account appears in J. C. Smuts, Jan Christian Smuts (London: Casssell and Co., 1952), p. 448, and a brief reference appears in F. D. R., His Personal Letters, 1928–1945, vol. ii, p. 1477. Smuts was at Cairo on his way back to the Union of South Africa from a visit to England.
  35. See the editorial note, post, p. 750.
  36. The matter here omitted relates to the return of the President’s party after it left Cairo. For a report on the return journey, see the Department of State Bulletin, vol. ix, December 11, 1943, pp. 410–412.