Cruiser launched
Camden, NJ, June 10 –
The cruiser USS Santa Fe, whose keel was laid one year and three days ago, was launched in a closed ceremony today in the Camden yards of the New York Shipbuilding Corp.
U.S. war output to 'smother Axis’
Nelson informs hometown meeting Hitler would never have started if he had known spirit of American cooperation
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Allies get 13 Jap fighters
Hot battle follows mass bombing of New Guinea
By Harold Guard, United Press staff writer
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White House statement on Roosevelt-Molotov conversations
June 11, 1942
People’s Commissar of Foreign Affairs of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Mr. V. M. Molotov, following the invitation of the President of the United States of America arrived in Washington on May 29 and was for some time the President’s guest. This visit to Washington afforded an opportunity for a friendly exchange of views between the President and his advisers on the one hand and Mr. V. Molotov and his party on the other. Among those who participated in the conversations were the Soviet Ambassador in the United States, Mr. Maxim Litvinov, Mr. Harry Hopkins, Chief of Staff General Marshall, and Commander in Chief of the United States Navy Admiral Ernest J. King. Mr. Cordell Hull, Secretary of State, joined in subsequent conversations on non-military matters.
In the course of the conversations, full understanding was reached with regard to the urgent tasks of creating a second front in Europe in 1942. In addition, the measures for increasing and speeding up the supplies of planes, tanks, and other kinds of war materials from the United States to the Soviet Union were discussed. Further were discussed the fundamental problems of cooperation of the Soviet Union and the United States in safeguarding peace and security to the freedom-loving peoples after the war. Both sides state with satisfaction the unity of their views on all these questions.
At the conclusion of the visit, the President asked Mr. Molotov to inform Mr. Stalin on his behalf that he feels these conversations have been most useful in establishing a basis for fruitful and closer relationship between the two governments in the pursuit of the common objectives of the United Nations.
The Pittsburgh Press (June 11, 1942)
U.S. PLEDGES INVASION
Molotov sees Roosevelt
Executives discuss speeding of planes and tanks to Soviets
By the United Press
The United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union formally agreed today on the urgent need for establishing a second European front against the Axis in 1942 and on the outline of post-war peace machinery.
Announcement in Washington and London of the momentous conferences made these disclosures:
1. Great Britain and Russia have signed a 20-year European mutual aid pact as a prelude to organization of a world security system after the war. The agreement does not affect Japan’s relations with Russia.2. The United States – coincident with a visit by Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov to the White House – has reached a unity of viewpoint on future peace cooperation and on speeding up war supplies to Russia.
3. All three countries agreed on the urgent necessity for opening a second fighting front this year against the Axis.
Molotov visits Roosevelt
This picture was taken during the recent visit of Soviet Foreign Affairs Commissar V. M. Molotov with President Roosevelt at the White House. Molotov was in Washington from May 29 until June 4. It was during that visit that the United States and Russia reached “a full understanding… with regard the urgent tasks of creating a second front in Europe in 1942.”
Washington (UP) –
The United States has promised Russia to open a second front in Europe in 1942.
The agreement was reached, the White House revealed today, at conferences between President Roosevelt and Soviet Foreign Commissar V. M. Molotov.
It was announced that a “full understanding” was reached on the “urgent tasks of creating a second front in Europe in 1942.”
The secret conversations began immediately upon Molotov’s arrival here on May 29. He left June 4.
Prior to his conversations with Mr. Roosevelt and other American leaders, Molotov had signed a 20-year mutual assistance pact with Great Britain. The existence of this pact was announced in London today, together with word that the USSR and Britain, as well as this country, were agreed on necessity of establishing the second front.
The White House made no mention of any similar pact between the United States and the Soviet Union and did not elaborate on the “full understanding” reached on creation of a second European front this year.
It said, however, that Mr. Roosevelt and Molotov had also discussed:
…measures for speeding up the supplies of planes, tanks and other kinds of war materials from the United States to the Soviet Union.
One source here said that while post-war plans were discussed, the question of post-war territorial demands, if any, the Soviet Union may make upon Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Finland “were not discussed or even mentioned.”
The White House did not go into any details as to how, when or where the United Nations would proceed to establish a new European front to relieve the tremendous pressure being wielded by Adolf Hitler’s armies on the Russo-German front. General expectation is that it may be some months before any sizeable land forces attempt to follow up the big air offensives.
As Britain’s RAF launched its powerful air offensive against the heart of industrial Germany a few weeks ago, U.S. military leaders arrived in London to discuss the role which this country is to take in direct action against the continent.
Lt. Gen. Henry H. Arnold, Chief of the U.S. Army Air Forces and one of the conferees in London, promised that it would not be long before American fliers and planes went into action with the RAF to wreak terror and destruction in German war production centers.
Gen. George C. Marshall, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, addressing the graduating class at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York, at about the same time, declared that U.S. troops “will land in France.” They are already in the British Isles.
While American participation in the air offensive against Germany had been a foregone conclusion, unusual significance was attached to the fact that Gen. Arnold was accompanies to London by ranking ground and supply officers of the U.S. Army, indicating that the second European front would involve more than air action.
Subsequent to the London military talks, Lord Louis Mountbatten, chief of the famed British Commandos, arrived in this country to conduct conversations with U.S. Army and Navy leaders.
Bearing directly on the possible opening of a new front on the European continent is the plan announced this week setting up a combined U.S.-British Production and Resources Board. In addition to integrating American and British production, the move is expected to effect a saving of at least 25% in shipping space.
Such a saving in space might well provide the United Nations with a substantial portion of the ships that would be needed to carry and supply American and British Expeditionary Forces on the European continent.
But how, when and where such forces might be dispatched is still a matter of guesswork outside of the inner war councils.
There has been some talk of an Allied invasion of Norway to drive out the Nazis and cut down the toll they have taken of war equipment shipments to the Soviet Union along the Arctic route which rounds the Scandinavian peninsula.
Gen. Marshall’s remark about the landing of U.S. troops in France also opened up a wide field of speculation. As they have in Norway, British Commandos have also conducted spectacular raids on the German-held French coast – and both actions might be considered, on a minor scale, as representing a softening-up technique.
French unrest under German masters has paced the outbreaks in other portions of occupied Europe. The French people, according to reliable diplomatic sources, are ready to begin the operation of the biggest fifth column in modern warfare if and when Allied armies enter France.
While the White House made no mention of a pact between Russia and the United States, it was pointed out that this nation has already invited the Soviet Union to sign the so-called “master” Lend-Lease agreement, covering American war-aid commitments and post-war collaboration in economic matters.
Britain and China have already signed the agreement with the United States. It was submitted to the Soviet Ambassador here May 26, the same day that Molotov signed the pact with British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden.
Another major point of the Molotov-Roosevelt discussions concerned:
…fundamental problems of cooperation of the Soviet Union and the United States in safeguarding peace and security to the freedom-loving peoples after the war.
The White House said:
Both sides state with satisfaction the unity of their views on all these questions.
The President, according to the White House statement, asked Molotov to inform Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin:
…that he feels these conversations have been most useful in establishing a basis for fruitful and closer relationship between the two governments in the pursuit of the common objectives of the United Nations.
Participating in the conversations about the “urgent task of creating a second front in Europe in 1942” were Gen. Marshal and Adm. Ernest J. King, Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Navy.
Soviet Ambassador Maxim Litvinov and Lend-Lease adviser Harry L. Hopkins also participated in the discussions here.
Secretary of State Cordell Hull joined the President and Molotov in subsequent conversations on “non-military matters,” the White House said.
The White House did not elaborate on the discussion of a second European front beyond this one sentence:
In the course of the conversations full understanding was reached with regard to the urgent tasks of creating a second front in Europe in 1942.
The White House described Molotov’s visit as having:
…afforded an opportunity for a friendly exchange of views between the President and his advisers on the one hand and Mr. Molotov and his party on the other.
White House Secretary Stephen T. Early, in releasing the news of the Washington conferences, said the statement had been approved by Molotov and by the President.
The visit of the Commissar was one of the better-kept secrets of the war to date.
Aside from general speculation that momentous conferences were in progress, the American public was not aware that such an important Russian leader had been in the country until after he returned to his homeland.
Invited by Roosevelt
Molotov came to the United States on the invitation of Mr. Roosevelt, arriving in Washington on the afternoon of Friday, May 29. He had not been expected until that night. Because he reached here four hours ahead of time. There was no formal reception committee on hand to greet him.
White House cars and a group of State Department officials hastened to the point of Molotov’s arrival in Washington and escorted him back to the White House, where he was met by the President.
After brief formalities of welcome, Molotov was given an opportunity to rest before dining with the President. Instead, he went for a walk around the White House grounds in full view of hundreds of homegoing government workers.
Guest at White House
After dinner, the President and Molotov talked well into the evening.
After spending his first night at the white House, Molotov and his party moved across Pennsylvania Ave. to the Blair House, an historic old mansion now used by this government for guests of state.
Molotov was seen leaving Blair House on several occasions, probably for conferences with Allied officials. Accompanied by several aides, he would walk briskly down the steps of the picturesque old home for a breath of air while the police guard steered passersby around him.
Recognized several times
Molotov was seen and recognized several times while he was here – once by a group of newsreel cameramen en route to the White House to photograph the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Nothing was printed while he was here, however, lest his safety be endangered.
Molotov undoubtedly took up while here the new master Lend-Lease agreement between the United States and his country; an agreement that is expected to be signed shortly before the first Moscow supply agreement expires June 30.
The conversations with Mr. Roosevelt, judging from the statement, also went deeply into economic and post-war questions.