Roosevelt Papers: Telegram
President Roosevelt to Prime Minister Churchill1
operational priority
Number 406, personal and secret, for the Former Naval Person from the President.
For many reasons it is advisable that Cordell be back in Washington while I am away and even now he can be home by the 13th.
For escort reasons also it will be much easier to carry through the original plan and a change would interfere with convoys. If I leave by 14th at latest and by going straight through I ought to be able to meet you and staffs in Cairo by the 22nd or 23rd. Perhaps it is just as well to get the main business over first, and you and I can do the inspection work on the way back.
I am wiring Hull to ask U. J. if he could come to Basra for even one day. That would be infinitely better than no meeting with him at all.
I will let you know as soon as I hear.
- Sent to the United States Naval Attach, London, via the White House Map Room and Navy channels.↩