April 25, 1942.
 
DRAFT OF PROPOSED DISPATCH FROM THE PHESIDENT TO MR. STALIN.
 
     Ever since war developed between the U.S.S.R. and Germany there
 
have been a growing desire and determination on the part of my country
 
to assist the U.S.S.R. to the maximum extent practicable. Such desire
 
and determination will continue to grow until a Soviet victory is
 
achieved. In accordance with such national policy, I have been striving
 
to send to the U.S.S.R. as rapidly as possible the stores scheduled in
 
the Moscow Protocol, together with other items not so scheduled but
 
needed by your country. At the present time large shipments are afloat, large quantities of stores 
 
are enroute to the ports and ships are also being made available for their transportation to the 
 
U.S.S.R. through drastic curtailment of other pressing needs. But now that stores and
 
ships ere moving at a reasonably satisfactory rate, enemy action is
 
developing in such a manner as to affect seriously the possibilities of
 
delivering the ships to northern Soviet ports. The battleship
 
'Von Tirpitz", together with supporting surface craft, are based on
 
Norway and lying on the flank of the convoy route; some 15 to 20 sub-
 
marines are similarly based; a large number of land based heavy bombers
 
are located in northern Norway and German aircraft are also within
 
bombing range of Murmansk. Furthermore, although it is temporary, ice
 
floe conditions are very bad and are forcing the convoys rather close
 
to the North Cape. In the last convoy to Murmansk, which consisted of
 
25 cargo ships, 15 had to turn back to Iceland due to enemy action and
 
weather conditions, some of the remainder were sunk and information is
 
not yet available as to the number that reached Murmansk.