Telegram from President Harry S. Truman to Prime Minister Winston Churchill

DECLASSIFIED by authority of NLT-209 TOP g. 9 May 1945 TOP SECRET U.S. SERVICE Jonn PRIORITY GOVERN MENT From: Opnav 1945 MAY 9 16 13 5298 To : Alusna, London 0915552, NCR NUMBER 31. TOP SECRET AND PERSONAL FROM THE PRESIDENT FOR THE PRIME MINISTER. Your messages 34 and 35. I am in agreement with your opinion that a meeting of the three heads of government would be desirable in order to get action on the questions of interest to the three governments upon which either a decision or a common understanding have not been reached. I very much prefer to have the request for such a tripartite meeting originate from Marshal Stalin and not from either one of us. Perhaps you have means of some kind with which to endeavor to induce Stalin to suggest or request such a meeting. In the meantime it is my present intention to adhere to our interpretation of the Yalta agreements, and to stand firmly on our present announced attitude to- ward all the questions at issue. In order to prepare for a possible tripartite meeting in the not distant future, I would be very pleased to have from you a list of the questions that you consider it necessary or desirable for us to bring up for discussion, and also suggestions as to meeting places. There should now be no valid excuse for Stalin's refusing to come west to- ward us. - 1 - TOP CEAREE