Cablegram 1210 WASHINGTON, 24 December 1941, 10.50 p.m.
IMMEDIATE SECRET
I sought and obtained a discussion with Churchill at White House today on the subject matter of your telegrams 1103 [1], 1106 [2], and 1108. [3] I emphasised the facts and point of view expressed in the above telegrams. British Chiefs of Staff Pound, Dill and Portal were called in. The President [4] joined the discussion and subsequently called in Colonel Knox (Secretary of Navy). I will send you further telegram later as to possibilities that emerged in the course of discussion. You may expect telegram from Churchill within 24 hours which I hope will implement the above- mentioned possibilities.
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1 Document 214.
2 See Document 217, note 1.
3 Dispatched 24 December. On file AA:A3300, 101. It read: ‘The opinion set out in 1106 [i.e. V. G. Bowden’s views on the situation in Malaya printed in Document 217] is the Prime Minister’s [John Curtin] opinion which all of us share. Please make this clear to the two persons concerned.’ 4 Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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[AA:A981, WAR 33, ATTACHMENT B]