Moscow Embassy Files, Lot F–96

The Chairman of the Soviet Council of People’s Commissars ( Stalin ) to President Roosevelt and the British Prime Minister ( Churchill )2

[Extract—Translation]

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

2. I consider that the time has come to create a military-political commission of representatives of the three countries—U.S.A., Great Britain and the USSR—for the consideration of questions regarding negotiations with different Governments falling out with Germany. Up to the present time the U.S.A. and England have consulted and the USSR has received information regarding the results of the consultation of the two powers in the capacity of a third, passive observer. I must say that it is impossible to tolerate such a situation any longer. I propose to create this commission (that this commission be created) and to fix its place for the present instance in Sicily.3

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

  1. This message was telegraphed by Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, Soviet People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs, to the Soviet Chargé in the United States, Andrey Andreyevich Gromyko, for transmission to the President. A copy was sent by Mr. Molotov on August 23 to the American Ambassador at Moscow (Standley), from which this translation was made. The full text of the message is printed in vol. ii, p. 353.
  2. In a telegram delivered to President Roosevelt by the British Embassy in Washington on August 27, 1943, Prime Minister Churchill stated: “I think we should agree . . . to the setting up of the Commission, though not in Sicily. This is certainly the view of my Cabinet subject to settlement of details.” (811.001 Roosevelt, F. D./9357)

    President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill were at this time in conference at Quebec. Documentation on that conference is scheduled for publication in a subsequent volume of Foreign Relations.