We were then notified that Mr. Churchill would leave
from Scotland on H. M. S. Prince of Wales, accompanied by several 
destroyers, on August fourth, andthat he would bring with him
Admiral Pound, General Dill, Air Marshal Freeman and Harry
Hopkins.  I notified him that I would bring Admiral Stark, 
General Marshall and General Arnold.  A day or two later I was
nitified that he would also bring Under Secretary of State,
Sir Alexander Cadogan, and I decided to bring Under Secretary 
of State Welles and Mr. Averell Harriman.
     
     It was constantly emphasized, both tin London and
Washington, that the utmost secrecy before and during the
trip was essential.  This was, of course, obivious because 
the Prime Minister would traverse, both going and returning
from Newfoundland, long distances in dangerous waters--
the danger being from bombing planes, heavy raiders and
submarines.  This was true, to a lesser extent, in the case 
of the President, whose Flagship would have to traverse waters
from Nova Scotia, passed Halifax, to Newfoundland, where sub-
marines or raiders could readily operate.  It is obvious that
the return trip of both the Prime Minister and the President
should be kept secret.
 
     All of this being accepted, I was faced with a 
practical problem of extreme difficulty.  I knew that the 
British Prime Minister is not constantly accompanied by news-
paper men nor camera men, whereas I was always accompanied--
the only exception being long distance cruised on heavy
cruisers, when three newspaper men, representing the Press
Associations, followed me on one of the escorting destroyers.
 
     I considered the possibility of visiting Ottawa, 
being met by a cruiser at Quebec, and departing without
newspaper men on a trip ostensibly to survey the defenses
of the lower St. Lawrence.  I realized, in the first place,
that it would be difficult to explain my failure to take
 Prime Minister Mackenzie King with me, and in knew that it
would be difficult to take the head of one Dominion Govern-
ment to the Churchill Conference in the absence of the Prime
Ministers of the other Dominions.  I then remembered that I 
had told my Press Conference about ten days before that I
 hoped to get off for a cruise on the U.S.S.  Potomac to the
eastern coast of Maine in order to get some cool nights--
the Summer of 1941 being extremely hot in June and July.
This became the basis for the plan of escape.