Leahy Papers: Telegram
No. 74
Prime Minister Churchill to President Truman
1
top secret
London, 17 June
1945.
Prime Minister to President Truman. Personal and top secret. Number 94.
Following is repetition of a telegram concerning “
Terminal
” which I have today sent Marshal
Stalin:
- “1. It is most important that the exact venue of the
forthcoming conference should be settled as soon as possible
since much preparatory work will be necessary.
- 2. I feel very strongly, and I am sure you will agree,
that on this occasion the Russian, American and British
delegations should each have separate enclaves, and that
they should make their own arrangements for accommodation,
food, transport, guards, communications, etc. I suggest
that, in addition, there should be a fourth place in which
the three delegations could meet to confer. It would be much
appreciated if the Soviet Government would make arrangements
for this common meeting place.
- 3. President Truman
is in entire agreement with the above proposal.
- 4. I should therefore be glad if you would let me know as
soon as possible the area in the vicinity of Berlin that you
propose for the conference, and the precise localities
within that area that it is proposed to allot to the Soviet,
American and British delegations respectively. On receipt of
your reply, I would immediately instruct Field Marshal Montgomery
to send advance parties to make all arrangements for the
British delegation, in consultation with Marshal Zhukov and
General
Eisenhower.
- 5. I hope that it will be borne in mind that we will
require the use of an airfield as near as possible to our
delegation area. We could, if convenient, share an airfield
with the Americans.”2
