810.20 Defense/11–344

Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by the Acting Director of the Office of American Republic Affairs (Armour)

Mr. Bundy52 telephoned on Friday afternoon to say that the letter from the Acting Secretary to the Secretary of War53 regarding the question of staff conversations had just been brought to his attention. Mr. Bundy said that he regretted very much that this matter was being referred to the President, since he felt sure that we should be able to settle it without bothering the President. Mr. Bundy admitted that the letter signed by Mr. Stimson jointly with Mr. Forrestal had, so far as the War Department was concerned, been handled at lower levels and that Mr. Stimson had not himself had an opportunity to consider the merits of the case and that the letter therefore did not represent his considered opinion.

What Mr. Bundy proposed was that we should attempt to hold up the memorandum to the President and in the meantime that he and I get together and try to work the matter out, and he felt sure that a satisfactory solution could be reached. This would, however, entail his taking the matter up with the Secretary of War, and the War Department would also have to get in touch with the Navy Department.

I told Mr. Bundy that this whole question represented a very fundamental issue and I did not wish him to receive the impression that we felt we could recede from the position we had taken, but I felt sure we would be glad to discuss the matter with him with a view to reaching some solution. However, as the procedure taken had been approved by the higher officers of the Department I would have to consult them further before giving him a definite reply.

I presented the matter at the Policy Meeting in the Acting Secretary’s office on Friday afternoon, and it was agreed that we would accept Mr. Bundy’s suggestion and try to have the memorandum to the President withheld for the time being. On taking the matter up with the White House, however, it was found that the memorandum had already reached the President’s desk and that he had presumably read it. When I so informed Mr. Bundy he said he proposed to have the Assistant Secretary of War, Mr. McCloy, telephone Miss Tully54 and ask that the President withhold any action for the present, since the letter signed by the Secretary of War did not represent his considered opinion. It was further agreed that Mr. Bundy would get in touch with me early this week to arrange a meeting for further discussion.

  1. Harvey H. Bundy, Assistant to the Secretary of War.
  2. Letter of October 30, p. 126.
  3. Grace G. Tuny, personal secretary to President Roosevelt.