The Grand Alliance (169 page)

Prime Minister to C.I.G.S.

21.IX.41.

Thank you. I am glad to see by later telegrams that it
is proposed to reorganise the forward area, so that any
similar movement of the enemy can be struck at offensively by the forward troops. I understand this readjustment is to be completed about twenty-third instant. If
this is right now, I still do not see why it was not right
earlier. The losses often tanks, etc., that the enemy
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suffered at the hands only of armoured cars without
tanks shows that a pretty good “cop” could have been
staged. However, perhaps we shall get a second
chance. P’raps not. Fortune is a jade.

Prime Minister to Chiefs of

25.IX.41.

Staff

I attach a summary of the official correspondence
which has passed in the last fifteen months in regard to
offensive and defensive measures in chemical warfare,
together with a table showing the stock position of the
more important gas-filled weapons. Please report
whether you are satisfied with the present position and
our means of retaliating on the Germans if necessary.

There may be a difficulty in maintaining stocks owing
to chemical deterioration. Normally, if there were a
consumption stocks could be replaced. Please let me
have your views on this aspect of the matter as well.

Prime Minister to Foreign

25.IX.41.

Secretary

We now know that the Grand Mufti is in the
Japanese Legation at Teheran. It seems of the utmost
importance to obtain his surrender, and meanwhile I
presume all measures are being taken to prevent his
getting away. Will you please do whatever is possible?

Prime Minister to Secretary

25.IX.41.

of State for War

Many plans are being made for the amusement of
troops during the winter. They are allowed to use
Government transport, within limits, to get to the
nearest sizeable town. Officers are not allowed to have
this privilege. It might be possible to arrange for officers
to have reasonable use of available Government
transport on paying for the petrol. Many of them are too
poor to hire any other form of transport, but this would
be fair and acceptable. The use might be controlled by
the Corps Divisional Staff.

Pray let me have your views on this.

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Prime Minister to First Lord

25.IX.41.

and First Sea Lord

Why not give the Graph U-boat, when she is repaired, to the Yugoslav Navy? They have a submarine
crew which has arrived at Alexandria, but their vessel
was in too bad a condition for the Admiral to allow it to
go to sea. I rather like the idea of the Yugoslavs
working a captured German U-boat.
27

Prime Minister to Minister of

27.IX.41.

Works and Buildings

I doubt very much whether it will ever be possible for
me to live at Walmer Castle, or indeed whether
anybody will be able to live in such fine houses after the
war. I mentioned this to the King when accepting the
Lord Wardenship of the Cinque Ports, which I regard as
a compliment. Clearly I cannot attempt to reside there
at the present time, as it is well within range of the
enemy’s batteries on the French coast, and the mere
report of my residing there would be sufficient to get the
whole place knocked down. In these circumstances I
think it would be perfectly proper for the Office of Works
to take it over during the war in whatever way they think
most conducive to the public interest. I should hope
therefore that, as long as I do not use the castle at all
or derive any benefit from it, it and the gardens could
be taken care of by the State. After the war the position
could be reviewed.

Perhaps you will let me know what you think can be
done.

(Action this day.) Prime

30.IX.4l.

Minister to Colonel Hollis, for
C.O.S. Committee

When I visited Indomitable last week I was astonished to learn that the handful of Hurricanes to be
allotted to this vital war unit were only of the lower type,
Hurricane l’s. I trust it may be arranged that only the
finest aeroplanes that can do the work go into all
aircraft-carriers. All this year it has been apparent that
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the power to launch the highest class fighters from
aircraft-carriers may reopen to the Fleet great strategic
doors which have been closed against them. The
aircraft-carrier should have supreme priority in the
quality and character of suitable types.
28

OCTOBER

(Action this day.) Prime

1.X.41.

Minister to Secretary of State
for War and C.I.G.S.

The danger of our forces being organised on a basis
so cumbrous that they will be incapable of effective
overseas or amphibious action has now grown very
great. The condition of the armoured divisions has
recently attracted attention. As new ideas and new
requirements come along, the tendency to growth is
continual. In order to preserve the efficiency of the
Army a continued process of pruning is indispensable.

2. The dire need of finding men to maintain the
fighting units at proper strength makes ceaseless
economy in the rearward services imperative. I am
doing my utmost to sustain the strength of the Army
against the growing volume of criticism about its
reputed size and obvious enforced passivity. I feel
therefore bound to press for assistance from the War
Office, and I hope I may count upon you to help me.

3. For this purpose a committee of officers acquainted with the establishments should be set up, with
orders to make a plan for a twenty-five per cent reduction in the rearward services and non-fighting troops,
showing how this can be done with the least possible
injury. This work should be completed by the fifteenth
instant, and the Defence Committee will then be able to
see what is entailed in the particular cuts proposed. I
wish to be consulted about the personnel of this committee. If it fails, I shall have to ask for an outside committee, as I know how hard it is for a department to reform
itself.

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Prime Minister to Minister of

3.X.41.

War Transport

I should be glad if you would submit a report for
consideration at the next meeting of the Battle of the
Atlantic Committee, showing the progress which has
been made with the provision of alternative port
facilities for use if any of the major ports on which we
now rely should be put out of action.

(Action this day.) Prime

4.X.41.

Minister to Colonel Hollis, for C.

O.S. Committee

I attach the utmost importance to tanks and aircraft
reaching Archangel early in October. It is vital that
delivery should begin at once. Pray let proposals and
preparation for this be made forthwith, and let me have
a report on Monday evening. A special convoy will
probably be necessary.

I cannot too strongly emphasise the vital importance
and extreme urgency of this transaction.

(Action this day.) Prime

6.X.41.

Minister to Secretary of State
for War

I feel some anxiety regarding the scheme conducted
by the new Army Bureau of Current Affairs. The test
must be whether discussions of such matters
conducted by regimental officers will weaken or
strengthen that tempered discipline without which our
armies can be no match for the highly trained forces of
Germany. The qualities required for conducting discussions of the nature indicated are not necessarily those
which fit for command in the field. Will not such discussions only provide opportunities for the professional
grouser and agitator with a glib tongue? They seem to
be in a different category from educative lectures by
trained teachers or experts.

Pray consider this matter and let me have your
personal views. Meanwhile please suspend action.

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Former Naval Person to

8.X.41.

President Roosevelt

After discussion with Ambassador Winant I send you
this note setting out the result of our Cabinet discussion
on the matter which has been causing us some difficulty. We have been considering carefully what should be
the next step regarding the conference upon wheat
which is due to resume its deliberations next week. I
feel a certain amount of concern as to the repercussions on the war situation of the proposed wheat
agreement in its present form. The draft seems to give
the impression that it is contemplated to force on the
wheat-importing countries of Europe, as a condition of
immediate post-war relief, a series of obligations,
including a drastic restriction of their wheat production,
which would vitally affect their agricultural systems. This
is to touch a tender spot in the policy of many countries.

Any wheat agreement capable of this construction
would, in our view, be dangerous in the extreme. It
would supply Nazi propaganda with a weapon which it
would not be slow to use. It would arouse widespread
suspicions as to the spirit in which the United States
and the United Kingdom mean to use their power when
the war is over, and would confuse and dishearten the
elements in Europe now hoping and working for the
defeat of Germany. We regard it as essential therefore
to remove from the draft agreement all provisions
implying Anglo-American interference in European
agricultural policy.

The relation of Russia to any agreement also raises
a difficulty, Russia was still a neutral at the time when
the arrangements for the wheat conference were made.

But, as things are now, it appears to us virtually out of
the question either to conclude an agreement which
may seriously affect her interests without consulting
her, or to approach her on such a matter at a time when
she is engaged in a life-and-death struggle, and when
her richest wheatfields are in the battle area.

We have been considering what instructions we can
give to our delegates, who are now on their way to
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Washington, with a view to meeting these difficulties,
but we have not been able to find a really satisfactory
solution consistent with the present framework of the
draft agreement. Considerable revision would certainly
be required; and we are alive to the danger, which we
are anxious to avoid, of protracted negotiations which
might lead to a breakdown. For our part, we welcome
the proposals for establishing a pool of wheat for post-war relief. There are other important features of the
agreement which do not prejudice, or which could
easily be given a form which would not prejudice, the
interests of unrepresented countries – e.g., the agreement of the four exporting countries represented as to
the ratios of their respective export quotas, and the
provisions for an “ever-normal” granary.

The other issues of policy might usefully be explored
by the conference with a view to preparing the ground
for later decisions; but it seems to me that we should be
ill-advised to attempt to reach definite conclusions
about these now. Apart from the fact that important
countries not represented at the conference are affected, there seems to be advantage in trying to fit these
questions into the larger discussions on Anglo-American collaboration in regard to post-war economic
problems generally which, as Lord Halifax will be able
to explain more fully, we hope to be able to begin at an
early date.