Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, The Far East, Volume V

800.6363/1431

Memorandum by President Roosevelt to the Secretary of State

Washington, January 10, 1944.

I will not do or say anything about the enclosed¹¹ until you and Ickes have a chance to talk things over.

Offhand, I cannot approve holding this thing in reserve. Action is really necessary—and I think we should negotiate with our own people who have oil before we negotiate with the British. In other words, we ought to know just what our own assets are before we try to make out a case with the British.

F[ranklin] D. R[oosevelt]

11. The memorandum of January 8 by the Secretary of State, p. 15.