Roosevelt Papers: Telegram
Prime Minister Churchill to President Roosevelt1
secret
London, 30 October 1943.
Prime Minister to President. Most secret and personal. No. 479.
Your No. 400.2
- 1.
- I will meet you in Cairo on the 20th as you suggest and will, if you will allow me, assume responsibility for making all arrangements for your general security and comfort which would fall upon us as the occupying power. Casey has been lent a beautiful villa which I have seen myself and am sure would be in every way suitable for you. It is a mile or two from the Pyramids and surrounded by woods affording complete seclusion. It can be reached from the airfield in twenty minutes without going through any towns. The whole area can be easily cordoned off by British troops. There are some very interesting excursions into the desert which we could make together. I have no doubt Casey would be delighted to place the villa at your disposal. I should probably myself stay at the British Embassy in Cairo, which is perhaps twenty minutes away, but it may be that arrangements could be made for us both to be in the Pyramids area. I believe your Mr. Kirk also has a very fine house. Every facility exists in Cairo for the full staffs to be accommodated and to meet for business, and they can easily come out to your villa whenever desired. If you like this plan, which knowing the layout I consider far the best, I will immediately make all preparations and perhaps you would send an officer to make sure everything is arranged to your liking.
- 2.
- Do you propose to go through the Mediterranean in your ship? I should have thought this was more risky than flying on account of the danger of air attack by glider bombs. Our convoys are frequently attacked. I shall myself very possibly go to Gibraltar or Oran by ship and fly on from there by easy hops. I too propose to have a few days in the Mediterranean Theatre before Sextant begins, and would probably start from home around the twelfth. I could make preliminary contact with you wherever you first land or alight. It would be good to have a short preliminary meeting of us two and then separate for a few days before Sextant.
- 3.
- I am quite game to go on to Basra, but I gather Joe3 will not come beyond Teheran. If it is only Molotov and the Russian generals, I see no reason why they should not come to Cairo. Excellent arrangements can be made for Chiang in Cairo though not at the same moment. Shall we send him a joint invitation or would you prefer to wait till we know about whether we go to Basra? I repeat, I will do whatever you wish.