Hopkins Papers
The Canadian Ambassador (Pearson) to the President’s Special Assistant (Hopkins)
Dear Mr. Hopkins: I have just received from Mr. Mackenzie King the following message, by telegram, which he has asked me to deliver to you:
“Dear Mr. Hopkins: Please let the President know that his personal letter dated August 26th,1 in which he speaks of meetings at Quebec as being on Teheran scale, with 15 or 20 people in his party and as many in Churchill’s, was received at Ottawa only today.
“I am informed by our officials who are at the moment in Quebec concerting accommodation arrangements with representatives of your Government and the United Kingdom Government, that accommodation will be required for 260 members of the United States Chiefs of Staff party, and perhaps 40 in the White House party, and I understand that the United Kingdom party, which is already en route, is about 225. These numbers are on almost exactly the scale of last year’s meeting, and will require the same accommodation, i.e., practically the whole Château Frontenac. I might also say that, according to our information, press enquiries about accommodation at Quebec indicate that the number of newspapermen intent on being present, despite all discouragements, is likely to be at least as great as last year.
“As you know, I have been very anxious to see that the Canadian end of the arrangements for the meeting should follow exactly what the President and Mr. Churchill had in mind. I take it that any misunderstandings there may have been about the size of staffs and the accommodation required for them have already been cleared up. I should, however, be glad to hear from you that the arrangements now in hand have been explained to the President and are agreeable to him.
“Yours very sincerely,
W. L. Mackenzie King.”
I shall be glad to telegraph to Mr. King any reply to the above message which you may wish to send to him.2
Yours sincerely,