Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1942, General; the British Commonwealth; the Far East, Volume I

845.24/18

Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle) to President Roosevelt

Washington, January 29, 1942.

Mr. President: The attached memorandum of conversation⁷ may interest you. Provided the British were willing, I think an American production mission in India might prove of considerable usefulness.⁸ The Indian plan was to have a million men in the field by the latter part of 1942; they have upwards of 275,000 men and perhaps, should things go badly in Singapore and Burma, completion of this plan might be of crucial importance.

Adolf Berle

7. Supra.
8. On February 2, 1942, President Roosevelt sent the following memorandum to Mr. Berle: “I think this worthy of pursuing. Please do so and take up also with the Vice President’s economic committee”. (845.24/41¼)