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J. .333305-MONO-State
Galley
68
UNCORRECTED GALLEY PROOF
Roosevelt Papers Telegram
President Roosevelt to Marshal Stalin 1
1
Sent to the United States Naval Attaché, Moscow, via Navy channels.
TOP SECRET
[WASHINGTON,] 18 November 1944.
PRIORITY
Number 124, Personal and Top Secret, from the President for
Marshal Stalin.
All three of us are of one mind-that we should meet very soon, but
problems chiefly geographical do not make this easy at this moment.
I can, under difficulties, arrange to go somewhere now in order to get
back here by Christmas but, quite frankly, it will be far more con-
venient if I could postpone it until after the Inauguration which is on
January twentieth.
My Navy people recommend strongly against the Black Sea. They
do not want to risk a capital ship through the Aegean or the Darda-
nelles, as it would involve a very large escort much needed elsewhere.
Churchill has suggested Jerusalem or Alexandria, and there is
a
possibility of Athens, though this is not yet sure.
Furthermore, I have at this time a great hesitation in leaving here
while my old Congress is in its final days, with the probability of its
not adjourning finally until December fifteenth. Also, I have to be
here, under the Constitution, to send the Annual Message to the new
Congress which meets here in early January.
What I am suggesting is that we should all meet about the twenty-
eighth or thirtieth of January, and I should hope that by that time
you will have rail travel to some port on the Adriatic and that we
should meet you there or that you could come across in a few hours on
one of our ships to Bari and then motor to Rome, or that you should
take the same ship a little further and that we should all meet in a
place like Taormina, in eastern Sicily, which should provide a fairly
good climate at that time.
Almost any place in the Mediterranean is accessible to me so that
I can be within easy air distance of Washington in order to carry out
action on Legislation-a subject with which you are familiar. I must
be able to get Bills or Resolutions sent from here and returned within
ten days.
I hope that your January military operations will not prevent you
from coming at that time, and I do not think that we should delay the
meeting longer than the end of January or early February.
Of course, if in the meantime the Nazi Army or people should dis-
integrate quickly, we would have to meet earlier, though I should much
prefer the meeting at the end of January.
A further suggestion as to a place would be one on the Riviera but
this would be dependent on the withdrawal of German troops from
northwestern Italy. I wish you would let me know your thoughts
on this.
I hope to talk over many things with you. We understand each
other's problems and, as you know, I like to keep these discussions
informal, and I have no reason for formal agenda.
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"ocrText": "J. .333305-MONO-State\nGalley\n68\nUNCORRECTED GALLEY PROOF\nRoosevelt Papers Telegram\nPresident Roosevelt to Marshal Stalin 1\n1\nSent to the United States Naval Attaché, Moscow, via Navy channels.\nTOP SECRET\n[WASHINGTON,] 18 November 1944.\nPRIORITY\nNumber 124, Personal and Top Secret, from the President for\nMarshal Stalin.\nAll three of us are of one mind-that we should meet very soon, but\nproblems chiefly geographical do not make this easy at this moment.\nI can, under difficulties, arrange to go somewhere now in order to get\nback here by Christmas but, quite frankly, it will be far more con-\nvenient if I could postpone it until after the Inauguration which is on\nJanuary twentieth.\nMy Navy people recommend strongly against the Black Sea. They\ndo not want to risk a capital ship through the Aegean or the Darda-\nnelles, as it would involve a very large escort much needed elsewhere.\nChurchill has suggested Jerusalem or Alexandria, and there is\na\npossibility of Athens, though this is not yet sure.\nFurthermore, I have at this time a great hesitation in leaving here\nwhile my old Congress is in its final days, with the probability of its\nnot adjourning finally until December fifteenth. Also, I have to be\nhere, under the Constitution, to send the Annual Message to the new\nCongress which meets here in early January.\nWhat I am suggesting is that we should all meet about the twenty-\neighth or thirtieth of January, and I should hope that by that time\nyou will have rail travel to some port on the Adriatic and that we\nshould meet you there or that you could come across in a few hours on\none of our ships to Bari and then motor to Rome, or that you should\ntake the same ship a little further and that we should all meet in a\nplace like Taormina, in eastern Sicily, which should provide a fairly\ngood climate at that time.\nAlmost any place in the Mediterranean is accessible to me so that\nI can be within easy air distance of Washington in order to carry out\naction on Legislation-a subject with which you are familiar. I must\nbe able to get Bills or Resolutions sent from here and returned within\nten days.\nI hope that your January military operations will not prevent you\nfrom coming at that time, and I do not think that we should delay the\nmeeting longer than the end of January or early February.\nOf course, if in the meantime the Nazi Army or people should dis-\nintegrate quickly, we would have to meet earlier, though I should much\nprefer the meeting at the end of January.\nA further suggestion as to a place would be one on the Riviera but\nthis would be dependent on the withdrawal of German troops from\nnorthwestern Italy. I wish you would let me know your thoughts\non this.\nI hope to talk over many things with you. We understand each\nother's problems and, as you know, I like to keep these discussions\ninformal, and I have no reason for formal agenda."
}