740.00119 (Potsdam)/6–2145: Telegram
No. 85
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman) to the President’s
Chief of Staff (Leahy)1
routine
(Personal and top secret for Admiral Leahy from Harriman.)
I will attempt to get Stalin’s reaction to the question contained in your Number 3002 as soon as possible. In the meantime for your information I am personally quite sure that Stalin not only will have no objection to the Chiefs of Staff accompanying the President but will wish to have intimate talks with the President about the military operations in the Far East which would be possible only if the Chiefs of Staff accompany him. Stalin will of course wish first to discuss the political aspects.
Am I right in assuming that the Chiefs of Staff will wish to bring only a small staff and not such large numbers as at Yalta? In this connection I feel it important that General Deane, Admiral Maples and General Ritchie come from Moscow and I hope that General Marshall will decide to bring General Roberts, recently returned to Washington from Moscow, if his new duties do not prevent, as the question of lend lease aid may also come up. I feel it would be helpful if one of the following were also present: General Spalding, General York, or General Wesson.
. . . . . . .
- Sent by the United States Naval Attaché, Moscow, via Navy channels. Printed from a courtesy copy forwarded to the Department of State.↩
- See document No. 79.↩