British Embassy,
 
      Washington, D. C.,
 
      December 8th, 1940
 
      
 
 
Dear Mr. Secretary:
 
      I enclose herein a letter for the President forwarding a secret 
      and personal letter for him from the Prime Minister. A copy of 
      Mr. Churchill's letter is enclosed herein for your personal information.
 
      
 
 
I should be very grateful if the letter could be sent on to 
      the President at the earliest possible moment. I hope it may 
      be possible to send it by seaplane, because the Prime Minister 
      is most anxious that the President should have time to read it 
      care-fully while on his cruise and before he gets back to the 
      bustle of Washington.
 
      
 
 
I should also be greatly obliged if the enclosed letter from 
      myself to Mr. Henry Hopkins could be sent at the same time.
 
 
      Believe me,
 
      Dear Mr. Secretary,
 
      Yours very sincerely,
 
      (Signed) L. Lothian
 
      Secretary of State of the United States,
 
      Washington, D. C.
 
      The Honorable
 
      Cordell Hull,