Office of the Historian

President Roosevelt to the British Prime Minister (Churchill)32

[Washington,] 7 October, 1943.

380. Reference your 440.33 On October 5 I informed Eisenhower as follows:

“The President and Prime Minister are in agreement that the King of Italy declare war on Germany as soon as possible. There appears to be no necessity for waiting until Rome is occupied. You will therefore put pressure on the Italian government for an early declaration of war without waiting for further successes.”

Eisenhower informs me that he is using the above to reinforce his own efforts along this line.

We can arrange to synchronize the three announcements immediately when war is declared.

Roosevelt
  1. Copy of telegram obtained from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, N.Y.↩
  2. Not printed.↩