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

Roosevelt Papers: Telegram

Prime Minister Churchill to President Roosevelt¹

secret

London, 23 October 1943.

Personal and most secret. Number 471. Former Naval Person to President Roosevelt. Your number 394.

1. The Russians ought not to be vexed if the Americans and British closely concert the very great operations they have in hand for 1944 on fronts where no Russian Troops will be present. Nor do I think we ought to meet Stalin, if ever the meeting can be arranged, without being agreed about Anglo-American operations as such.

2. I would be content with Nov 15th if this is the earliest date for your staffs. I thought the staffs would work together for a few days before you and I arrive, say 18th or 19th, and we could then go on together to Eureka. I do not yet know whether it is to be Nov 20th or 25th. I had not imagined that Eureka would take more than 3 or 4 days or that large technical staffs would take part in it.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .²

6. … I feel very much in the dark at present, and unable to think or act in the forward manner which is needed. For these reasons I desire an early conference.

7. All that you say about the plans for Eisenhower and the commanders in the Pacific which are due to be submitted on Nov 1st would harmonize with a meeting on Nov 15th at latest. I do not know how long you consider is required for the long term overall plan for the defeat of Japan to be completed by the combined planners and studied by our respective Chiefs of Staff.³ I do not consider that the more urgent decisions to which I have referred above ought to be held up for this long term view of the war against Japan which nevertheless should be pressed forward with all energy.

8. I hope you will consider that these reasons for a meeting are solid. We cannot decide finally until an answer is received from Uncle Joe. Should Eureka not be possible it makes it all the more necessary that we should meet in the light of the information now being received from the Moscow Conference. I am expecting Anthony⁴ to start home before the end of the month and am ready myself to move any day after the first week in Nov.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1. Apparently sent via military channels.
2. For the portion which is omitted here, see post, p. 110.
3. A preliminary version of the Combined Staff Planners’ study was completed October 25, 1943; excerpts from it are printed in Ehrman, vol. v, pp. 159–161. The definitive version, circulated December 2, 1943, as C. C. S. 417, is printed post, p. 765.
4. Eden.