J. C. S. Files
Joint Chiefs of Staff Minutes
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7. Basic Objectives, Strategy and Policies
General Marshall presented to the Joint Chiefs of Staff certain proposals3 by Lord Leathers for amending C. C. S. 877,4 the United States Chiefs of Staff paper on this subject.
Admiral Leahy read out the proposed changes and these were compared with C. C. S. 877.
Admiral Leahy read a paragraph in regard to shipping5 which General Somervell proposed for inclusion in C. C. S. 877.
General Marshall said that Lord Leathers would probably accept as a part of the basic objectives the proposal made by General Somervell [Page 140] but he thought that it might better appear as a commentary on the basic objectives rather than as an integral part thereof.
Admiral King pointed out that Lord Leathers’ paper in fact involved a change in national policy, and therefore, in his opinion the Joint Chiefs of Staff could not consider it.
General Somervell asked if his paragraph would be accepted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the final report by the Combined Chiefs of Staff to the President and Prime Minister.
Admiral Leahy said that the Joint Chiefs of Staff could not approve the paragraph outright at the present time but he was sure they viewed it in a favorable light. The other Chiefs of Staff concurred.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff:—
- a.
- Authorized General Somervell to inform the British Minister of War Transport that the proposed amendments to the basic objectives were not acceptable to the United States Chiefs of Staff.6
- b.
- Informed General Somervell that they viewed in a favorable light his memorandum of comment on the basic objectives.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9. Air Transport Route Between the United States and Moscow
General Arnold recalled that it had taken one year to get air transport operations established with Russia via Teheran. Attempts had been made to shorten the route via Turkey, and although Turkish acquiescence had been obtained, the Russians had not agreed to the adoption of this shorter route to Moscow.
Mr. Harriman had informed General Arnold that since the capture of Berlin he had endeavored to arrange with Mr. Molotov for an air route to Moscow through Berlin but he had found it impossible to complete such arrangements.7 Mr. Harriman had asked General Arnold to submit two memoranda for consideration by the Joint Chiefs of Staff in this connection.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff:—
Approved the memorandum to the President enclosing the message to Generalissimo Stalin as presented by General Arnold.8
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- Not positively identified. Cf. documents Nos. 1262 and 1263, post.↩
- See vol. i, document No. 600, footnote 1.↩
- Not printed.↩
- See document No. 1262, post.↩
- See document No. 1172, post.↩
- Documents Nos. 1170 and 1171, post.↩