Cablegram 131[A] LONDON, 8 August 1942, 3.10 p.m.
FOR THE PRIME MINISTER MOST SECRET AND PERSONAL
Your telegram 7267 of 7th August. [1] The Prime Minister had under consideration a draft telegram to the Dominions with regard to the Marshall-King visit and the agreement arrived at with the Chiefs of Staff. [2] In the pressure of his sudden and unexpected movements the Prime Minister did not approve this draft. [3]
I gather, however, that owing to the operational character of the decisions arrived at his telegram would have given you little more information than that contained in my telegram 111[A] [4], which, as you know, the Prime Minister has seen.
With regard to Air Forces for the Pacific theatre, the decision was a broad one, allocating to that theatre approximately 25 per cent of the United States Air Forces previously earmarked to be sent to the United Kingdom. How and where in the Pacific theatre these re-allocated Air Forces will be employed is a matter for determination in Washington.
With regard to paragraph 2, I have seen Johcu 38 [5] and your telegram 532 to the Dominions Office [6], also Dominions Office telegram 548. [7] As, however, this matter is being dealt with direct between you and the Prime Minister, and I have not been officially brought into it, I have taken no action.
BRUCE
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1 On file AA:M100, August 1942. It advised that no information on strategic decisions had been received from Churchill.
2 See Document 9, note 3.
3 Churchill left London at the beginning of August to visit Cairo and Moscow.
4 Document 9.
5 Document 12.
6 Document 10.
7 Document 18.
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[FA:A3195, 1942, 1.31376]