Editorial Note
No official memorandum has been found relating to this conversation, which took place immediately before dinner and before the arrival of the other guests. The following notes of the conversation by Mackenzie King are reprinted from Pickersgill and Forster, pp. 81–82:
“I told him [Roosevelt] something of the meeting we had had this afternoon1 and that Churchill would be speaking to him about our desire to have our Chiefs of Staff confer with his Chiefs of Staff. He said: By all means. We were allies. That would be expected. I then said to him that as he knew we were prepared to participate in the war in the Pacific against Japan but that we felt it must be in the Northern or Central regions. The President said he thought we should have a token representation but indicated that nothing might be needed for some time. He spoke of some extremely Northern region and indicated that toward the end, the Japanese might have to be driven out of the northern end of China. There was a hint that our men might be useful there. The President said I think Canada should have a token force to march into Berlin. I said I thought they would appreciate that and that it would be expected; that part of our army would be associated with the American and British armies. It was in this connection that the President referred to token forces in the other connection. The President made some reference to Russia and I asked him direct what part Russia would likely play. He repeated to me what had been said the other night2 and added that he could only say that Stalin had given that word himself.”