Roosevelt Papers: Telegram
President Roosevelt to Prime Minister Churchill1
Number 692, Personal and Top Secret, from the President for the Prime Minister.
Your 874 and 875. I am informed by Harriman that U. J. will meet us at Yalta February first or second.
Preparations are being made to take care of us and our Staff in undamaged houses in Yalta. I will send my ship to Sevastopol to arrive three or four days in advance of my arrival.
There is a chance that weather might permit of the ship’s anchoring off the place of meeting.
With favorable weather at sea I can arrive Malta February second, and it is necessary to proceed by air the same day in order to keep the date with U. J.
That is why I regret that in view of the time available to me for this journey it will not be possible for us to meet your suggestion and have a British-American Staff meeting at Malta before proceeding to Argonaut. I do not think that by not having a meeting at Malta any time will be lost at Argonaut.
I am envious of your visits to the great battlefront which are denied to me by distance.
- Sent by the United States Military Attaché, London, via Navy channels.↩