Saturday, 23 January
The Prime Minister lunched with the President, Mr. Hopkins, and Lt. Col. Elliott Roosevelt at 1: 30 p.m. He departed at 2:45 p.m.
Mr. Murphy and Mr. Macmillan called during the afternoon at 3:50 and departed at 4:10, again calling at 4:30 and leaving at 5:15.
The Prime Minister arrived at the President’s villa at 4:45 to talk with the President prior to a final meeting of the Combined Chiefs of Staff scheduled for 5:30. The American and British military, naval, and air chiefs conferred with the President and the Prime Minister, in the dining room of the President’s villa from 5:30 until 7:50 p.m. This was the last large-scale meeting of the ten-day conference period fast drawing to a close.
There were no guests at dinner tonight. The President and Mr. Hopkins dined with their sons, Lt. Col. Elliott Roosevelt and Sergeant Robert Hopkins.
After dinner, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Macmillan and Mr. Mack called to see Mr. Hopkins, and at 10:30 the President sent for Chief Ship’s Clerk Terry to dictate some “background material” which the President planned to give to the correspondents who were to attend the press conference scheduled for 11:00 a.m. the following day.
When Mr. Terry returned shortly after midnight with the transcription of the President’s dictation, he found the Prime Minister and his son, Randolph, in conference with the President and Mr. Hopkins.
In the next two hours, the final draft of a cable to Mr. Stalin, reporting the highlights of the meeting, was agreed upon as was also the text of the joint communiqué to be issued next day to the press representatives for actual release to the press of the world the following Wednesday.
Mr. Murphy, Mr. Macmillan, and Mr. Mack left the President’s villa at 2:10 a.m., and the Prime Minister and his son took their departure at 2:30. The President retired a few minutes later.