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

The British Prime Minister (Churchill) to President Roosevelt ⁹⁷

[Extracts]

London, 23 June 1944.

712. Your number 565.

1. The Russians are the only power that can do anything in Roumania and I thought it was agreed between you and me that on the basis of their reasonable armistice terms, excepting indemnities, they should try to give coherent direction to what happened there.⁹⁸ In point of fact, we have all three cooperated closely in handling in Cairo the recent Roumanian peace feelers. On the other hand, the Greek burden rests almost entirely upon us and has done so since we lost 40,000 men in a vain endeavour to help them in 1941. Similarly, you have let us play the hand in Turkey, but we have always consulted you on policy and I think we have been agreed on the line to be followed. It would be quite easy for me, on the general principle of slithering to the left, which is so popular in foreign policy, to let things rip when the King of Greece would probably be forced to abdicate and EAM would work a reign of terror in Greece, forcing the villagers and many other classes to form security battalions under German auspices to prevent utter anarchy. The only way I can prevent this is by persuading the Russians to quit boosting EAM and ramming it forward with all their force. Therefore, I proposed to the Russians a temporary working arrangement for the better conduct of the war. This was only a proposal and had to be referred to you for your agreement.

2. I cannot admit that I have done anything wrong in this matter. It would not be possible for three people in different parts of the world to work together effectively if no one of them may make any suggestion to either of the others without simultaneously keeping the third informed. A recent example of this is the message you have sent quite properly to UJ⁹⁹ about your conversations with the Poles of which, as yet, I have heard nothing from you. I am not complaining at all of this because I know we are working for the general theme and purposes and I hope you will feel that has been so in my conduct of the Greek affair.

3. I have, also, taken action to try to bring together a union of the Tito forces with those in Serbia and with all adhering to the Royal Yugoslav Government, which we have both recognized.¹ You have been informed at every stage of how we are bearing this heavy burden which at present rests mainly on us. Here again, nothing would be easier than to throw the King and the Royal Yugoslav Government to the wolves and let a civil war break out in Yugoslavia to the joy of the Germans. I am struggling to bring order out of chaos in both cases and concentrate all efforts against the common foe. I am keeping you constantly informed; and I hope to have your confidence and help within the spheres of action in which initiative is assigned to us.

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97. Copy of telegram obtained from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, N.Y.; copy sent by President Roosevelt on June 30 to the Secretary of State.
98. For correspondence regarding United States policy with respect to armistice agreement with Rumania, see vol. iv , section under Rumania entitled “Negotiations leading to signing of armistice with Rumania…”
99. Uncle Joe”—Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin—Chairman of the Council of the People’s Commissars of the Soviet Union; for the message, see telegram No. 1506, June 17, to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union, vol. iii, p. 1284.
1. For correspondence concerning the interest of the United States in affairs in Yugoslavia, see vol. iv , section on Yugoslavia.