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J. 333305-MONO-State
Galley 284
UNCORRECTED GALLEY PROOF
Roosevelt Papers: Telegram
Prime Minister Churchill to President Roosevelt
TOP SECRET
LONDON, 6 December 1944.
1 Sent by the United States Military Attaché, London, via Army channels.
Prime Minister to President Roosevelt personal and Top Secret
Number 846.
I have replied as follows to Stalin's enquiry for my advice on the
two questions raised with him by De Gaulle:-
"1. Your telegram about De Gaulle's visit and the two questions
he will raise. We have no objection whatever to a Franco Soviet
pact of mutual assistance similar to the Anglo Soviet pact. On the
contrary, His Majesty's Government consider it desirable and an
additional link between us all. Indeed, it also occurs to us that it
might be best of all if we were to conclude a tripartite treaty between
the three of us which would embody our existing Anglo Soviet treaty
with any improvements. In this way the obligations of each one of
us would be identical and linked together. Please let me know if
this idea appeals to you as I hope it may. We should both of course
tell the United States.
2. The question of changing the eastern frontier of France to the
left bank of the Rhine or alternatively of forming a Rhenish-West-
phalian province under international control, together with other
alternatives ought to await settlement at the peace table. There is,
however, no reason why, when the three heads of government meet,
we should not come much closer to conclusions about all this than
we have done so far. As you have seen, the President does not
expect De Gaulle to come to the meeting of the three. I would hope
that this could be modified to his coming in later on when decisions,
especially affecting France, were under discussion.
3. Meanwhile, would it not be a good thing to let the European
Advisory Commission sitting in London, of which France is a member,
explore the topic for us all without comitting in any way the heads of
governments?
4. I am keeping the President informed."
2. There seems much to be said for a tripartite Anglo Franco
Soviet pact. In that way we can be sure that our mutual obligations
to each other are harmonised from the beginning. Public opinion
too would think such a joint agreement more satisfactory than an
arrangement whereby relations between the French and ourselves
were governed by agreements which each of us had entered into
separately with Russia.
3. I should welcome your views.
PRIME
Roosevelt Papers
The President's Chief of Staff (Leahy) to the President
[WASHINGTON,] 6 December 1944.
For the President from Admiral Leahy.
The following quoted reply to Stalin approved by State Department
is forwarded for your consideration.
I think it should be quoted to Prime for his information. We are
now preparing a draft reply¹ to Prime's 846.2
"Personal and Secret from the President to Marshal Stalin.
Thank you for your two informative messages of December 2 and
December 3.
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"ocrText": "J. 333305-MONO-State\nGalley 284\nUNCORRECTED GALLEY PROOF\nRoosevelt Papers: Telegram\nPrime Minister Churchill to President Roosevelt\nTOP SECRET\nLONDON, 6 December 1944.\n1 Sent by the United States Military Attaché, London, via Army channels.\nPrime Minister to President Roosevelt personal and Top Secret\nNumber 846.\nI have replied as follows to Stalin's enquiry for my advice on the\ntwo questions raised with him by De Gaulle:-\n\"1. Your telegram about De Gaulle's visit and the two questions\nhe will raise. We have no objection whatever to a Franco Soviet\npact of mutual assistance similar to the Anglo Soviet pact. On the\ncontrary, His Majesty's Government consider it desirable and an\nadditional link between us all. Indeed, it also occurs to us that it\nmight be best of all if we were to conclude a tripartite treaty between\nthe three of us which would embody our existing Anglo Soviet treaty\nwith any improvements. In this way the obligations of each one of\nus would be identical and linked together. Please let me know if\nthis idea appeals to you as I hope it may. We should both of course\ntell the United States.\n2. The question of changing the eastern frontier of France to the\nleft bank of the Rhine or alternatively of forming a Rhenish-West-\nphalian province under international control, together with other\nalternatives ought to await settlement at the peace table. There is,\nhowever, no reason why, when the three heads of government meet,\nwe should not come much closer to conclusions about all this than\nwe have done so far. As you have seen, the President does not\nexpect De Gaulle to come to the meeting of the three. I would hope\nthat this could be modified to his coming in later on when decisions,\nespecially affecting France, were under discussion.\n3. Meanwhile, would it not be a good thing to let the European\nAdvisory Commission sitting in London, of which France is a member,\nexplore the topic for us all without comitting in any way the heads of\ngovernments?\n4. I am keeping the President informed.\"\n2. There seems much to be said for a tripartite Anglo Franco\nSoviet pact. In that way we can be sure that our mutual obligations\nto each other are harmonised from the beginning. Public opinion\ntoo would think such a joint agreement more satisfactory than an\narrangement whereby relations between the French and ourselves\nwere governed by agreements which each of us had entered into\nseparately with Russia.\n3. I should welcome your views.\nPRIME\nRoosevelt Papers\nThe President's Chief of Staff (Leahy) to the President\n[WASHINGTON,] 6 December 1944.\nFor the President from Admiral Leahy.\nThe following quoted reply to Stalin approved by State Department\nis forwarded for your consideration.\nI think it should be quoted to Prime for his information. We are\nnow preparing a draft reply¹ to Prime's 846.2\n\"Personal and Secret from the President to Marshal Stalin.\nThank you for your two informative messages of December 2 and\nDecember 3."
}