October 26, 1945
 
               ESTATE OF FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
 
      Memorandum to the Exectuors Re Papers and Files 
         Requested by Senate House Joint Committee 
            Investigating Pearl Harbor Disaster
 
        I conferred yesterday, Ocotber 25, 1945, at 10:00 A.M. at 
the Exectutive Offices at the White House with Maurice C.Latta, 
the WHite HOuse Executive Clerk and G. A. Gessell,Esq. , Assistant 
to William D. Mitchell, counsel for the Senate House Committee of
 ten nvestigating the Pearl harbor disaster.  The prupose of the 
conference, which was hedl at hte request of Mr. latta, was to 
consider the request made by the investigating committee to 
President Truman for permission to examine the papers and files 
of the late PResident Roosevelt. 
 
        Mr.s Gessel stated that he was unable to specify
particularly what papers and files were needed but that
generally what the Commitee wnated was anything in the
files to show what knowledge, if any, President Roosevelt
had of the imminece of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and 
the opening of hostilities in the Pacific.
 
        Because the ultimate ownership of Mr.s Roosevelt's papers 
and files had not definatly been determined, President Truman's 
advisors have come to the conclusion that the permission of the 
Executors should be obtained before any of President Roosevelt's 
files were made available.  I stated that the Executors were 
willing to fully cooperate with the COmmittee and make available all