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    "label": "Memorandum of Conference with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Marshal Joseph Stalin",
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    "title": "Memorandum of Conference with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Marshal Joseph Stalin",
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 28,
            "logicalDate": "1943-11-28",
            "month": 11,
            "year": 1943
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{
    "seq": 11,
    "pageIndex": 0,
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    "ocrText": "SPORET\nTHE PRIME MINISTER replied that two or three Divisions, British or\nBritish controlled, were available for the capture of the islands of the\nAgean, and that as an immediate aid to Turkey it was proposed to send\n20 squadrons of a ghters and several anti-aircraft regiments, adding that\nthe preparation to send these forces to Turkey were already far advanced.\nMARSHAL STALIN replied that in his opinion he questioned the wisdom of\ndispersing allied forces of the vari ou operations mentioned such as Turkey,\nthe Adriatic and Southern France since there would be no direct connection\nbetween these scattered forces. He said he thought it would be better to take\nOVERLORD as the basis for all 1944 operations that after the capture of Rome\nthe troops thus relieved might be sent to Southern France, and in conjunction\nwith forces operating from Corsica might eventually meet in France the main\nforce of OVERLOYD from the north. These would be in the nature of diversionary\noperations to assist OVERLORD. Marshal Stalin said that he favored the\noperations in Southern France particularly as he thought Turkey would not enter\nthe war. He repeated that he was convinced that Turkey would not enter the\nwar.\nTHE PRESIDENT remarked that there would be 8 or 9 French Divisions,\nwhich included native Divisions, available for an operation against southern\nFrance.\nMARSHAL STALIN remarked that in an operation against southern France\nthe transportation difficulties would be greatly facilitated.\nTHE PRIME MINISTER said he agreed wd th Marshal Stalin in regard to the\ninadvisability of scattering our forces. He pointed out that the squadrons\ndestined for Turkey and the Divisions for the seizure of the Agean islands\nwere now being used for the deferse of Egypt and that their use would not\ndistract in any way from OVERLORD or the operations in Italy.\nMARSHAL STALIN remarked that these operations would be worthwhile only\nif Turkey entered the war which he again repeated he did not believe would\nhappen.\nTHE PRIME MINISTER replied that be had in mind the six months which would\nelapse after the expected capture of Rome before the beginning of OVERLORD,\nand that both he and the President were most anxious that their troops should\nnot remain idle since if they were fighting, the British and American govern-\nments would not be exposed to the criticism that they were letting the Soviet\nUnion bear the brunt of the war.\nMARSHAL STALIN replied that in his opinion OVERLORD represented a very\nlarge operation and that it would be facilitated and, in fact, would be certain\nof success if the invasion of southern France was undertaken some two months\nbefore OVERLORD. This would divert German troops from the northern part of\nFrance and assure the success of OVERLORD. He said that as an extreme measure\nhe would be inclined to leave 10 Divisions in Italy and postpone the capture\nof Rome in order to launch the attack in southern France two months in advance\nof OVERLORD.\nRECLASSIFIED\nB.O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or a\n-6-\nDept. of State letter, Aug. 10, 1972\nBy WITHIC NARS Date2427\nSLURET"
}