U.S. State Department (December 2, 1943)
The Prime Minister’s assistant private secretary to the President’s special assistant
Cairo, December 2, 1943
Most secret
Most immediate
Mr. Hopkins.
The Prime Minister has instructed me to send down to you immediately, for the President’s information, the attached copy of telegram No. 365 from Angora to the Minister of State, Cairo, which was repeated to Tehran and which the Prime Minister saw last night, and of telegram No. 394 from Angora to the Embassy at Cairo which has just been received.
F. D. W. Brown
2.12.43
[Attachment 1]
The British Ambassador in Turkey to the British Minister of State Resident in the Middle East
Ankara, December 1, 1943 Most immediateAddressed Minister of State telegram 365 and repeated to Tehran and Foreign Office. Most secret.
Minister for Foreign Affairs spontaneously mentioned to U.S. Ambassador this morning the possibility of meeting President of the Republic with President Roosevelt and the Prime Minister. He said that there would be serious difficulties about Cairo and that in any case the party would not agree to the President of the Republic flying. Adana would present security difficulties, but speaking purely personally and without commitment, he suggested Aleppo might be possible.
I give this for information only. U.S. Ambassador is repeating it.
[Attachment 2]
The British Ambassador in Turkey to the British Embassy in Egypt
Ankara, December 2, 1943 Most immediateAddressed to Cairo Embassy telegram No. 394 repeated to the Foreign Office, Tehran. Most Secret. Foreign Office telegram No. 1644 to me (repeating Tehran telegram No. 33 to me).
Pending the receipt of instructions by my Soviet and United States Colleagues I have informed the Minister for Foreign Affairs of your proposal that the President should go to Cairo.
Minister for Foreign Affairs has consulted the President and the Prime Minister and informs me as follows.
If the object of the visit is discussions on basis of decision[s] already taken in conversations with Stalin in Tehran the President would not be willing to come.
If however the object is to afford the opportunity of free equal and unprejudged discussion as to the best method by which Turkey can serve the common cause, the President would be willing to come accompanied by Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Minister for Foreign Affairs explained that the President’s position [vis-à-vis the?] national party and the country would be rendered impossible if he accepted the invitation on the basis of paragraph 3.
If the invitation is on basis of paragraph 4, he would be ready to leave on the morning of December 3 reaching Adana early December 4. His party would number 15. There would in addition be my Soviet and United States Colleagues and myself. I should propose to bring Counsellor and Air Attaché. Including the President’s party it would be necessary to count on total of 25 to 30.
I have been in touch with my Soviet and United States Colleagues and will inform them of the above as soon as possible.
KNATCHBULL-HUGESSEN