Letter WASHINGTON, 3 January 1944
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL
Now that I am back from the Conferences [1] with Mr. Churchill and
the Generalissimo and Marshal Stalin, I feel even more strongly
that you and I should meet. As you know, I have been close to
Mackenzie King almost since we were boys; Marshal Smuts and I
first met in 1918, and I had a grand reunion with him in Cairo
last month; and Peter Fraser has stopped off here in Washington
several times; and I feel that there is a real void which can only
be filled by a meeting between you and me.
I do hope that you will consider coming here within a few months.
It would not take you long and my thought is that you would spend
a couple of days at the White House, making perhaps one public
appearance either on the West Coast or in New York City at a big
meeting. Then you could run up for a day or two to see Mackenzie
King.
Incidentally and confidentially, while Churchill and I did not
discuss the matter in any way, I do not think it would do anything
but good if you could go to London for a short visit. I think you
would receive a very warm welcome.
My plans call for no definite absence from Washington for some
months though, of course, the military situation may change
suddenly making it necessary for me to dash off to a meeting
before that.
There are many things I want to talk with you about, even though
they are not matters which require immediate decisions. For
instance, I think we should discuss the future military, naval and
air protection of Australia and, in a preliminary way at least,
the disposition of the Japanese-owned mandated or controlled
islands. Also, I want to talk with you about the future policing
of the whole Pacific and Asiatic area.
In this country, we are all very keen about the splendid work that
is being done by Australia. As the head of a Government, you
realize as I do that when there are ‘no complaints’ and ‘no
criticisms’, it means that things are going well! As we used to
say in my rowing days, Australia is ‘pulling its weight in the
boat’.
With my warm regards and all good wishes for the New Year.
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
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1 Churchill, Roosevelt and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek (Chinese
President and, until 4 December, President of the Executive Yuan)
met in Cairo from 22 to 25 November 1943. Churchill and Roosevelt
then proceeded to Tehran for discussions with Stalin between 28
November and 1 December. From 4 to 6 December, Churchill and
Roosevelt again met in Cairo where they conferred with Turkey’s
President Inonu.
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[AA:A5954, BOX 646]
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