Log of the President’s trip
Thursday 14 January
The President’s plane landed at Medouina Airport, Casablanca, at 6:20 local time, where the President and the passengers in his plane were met by Mr. Michael Reilly of the White House Secret Service. The President proceeded by automobile to his villa adjoining the Anfa Hotel on the outskirts of the city. Here the American Army authorities had taken over a medium-sized modern hotel and 14 nearby villas. The entire area had been surrounded with barbed wire together with a heavy guard of troops, planes, and artillery. The hotel and the adjoining villas had been organized to provide temporary headquarters for the President, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, and their respective staffs.
The President was installed in Villa No. 2, “Dar es Saada,” by 7:00 p.m., and a few minutes later Mr. Hopkins left for Villa No. 3, “Mirador,” to escort Prime Minister Churchill across to the President’s villa. The President and Mr. Churchill conferred for an hour and then went in to dinner. In addition to Mr. Churchill, the following persons dined with the President:
| General Sir Alan F. Brooke | Gen. George C. Marshall |
| Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound | Admiral E. J. King |
| Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal | Lt. Gen. H. H. Arnold |
| Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten | Lt. Col. Elliott Roosevelt |
| Mr. Harry L. Hopkins | |
| Mr. Averell Harriman |
After dinner, the President’s guests stayed late, renewing old acquaintances and “talking shop.” It was not until almost three hours after midnight that the President retired.