Text Version


                            - 2 -
 
          I believe the general concensus of opinion is 
to accept the leadership of the Goverrnment and sup-
port it, believing that if an invasion of the Con-
tinent is possible, it will be undertaken.
 
          The visit of General Arnold and General Somervell, 
with others, has again centred interest on this 
subject, and has increased active consideration of 
the problem, it is my opinion, however, that action 
and success will depend on what General Somervell 
described to me as a "sustained excitement" on the 
part of the Prime Minister and the higher British 
military officers, it will take great determination 
and singleness of purpose to organize an invasion 
force large enough to divert German ground forces 
from the Eastern Front, or to occupy the mainland 
in sufficient depth to be in a position to compel 
a major diversion of the German Air Force from the 
Eastern to the Western Front. I believe a great 
deal more could be done than is now being done, but 
only with your personal intervention and vigorous 
support. I liked your message of June first to the 
Prime Minister. I felt the lift of it, as I am sure 
he did. At the same time, I thought your estimate 
of the Russian situation made it clear that it was of 
concern to us and called for action on our part.
 
          I wired you this evening, asking for information 
as to the position you had taken in relation to the 
Russian demand for a Second Front, as I felt it would 
help me in working out your wishes with the British.
 
         I have seen something of General De Gaulle lately, 
partly because Eden felt that I could help keep him 
in line, and also because I respect him as a fighting 
man. The Prime Minister this last week has had a 
more friendly attitude toward him, because of the 
gallant behaviour of the Free French unit fighting in 
Lybia. He asked Tommy Thompson to put on all his gold 
braid and deliver a message of congratulations to 
De Gaulle, because of the effective part they have 
played in the desert battle. I spent three hours with 
De Gaulle and with Eden, convincing De Gaulle of the 
stupidity of his press conference which appeared last 
week, and explained to him that to be friendly one 
minute and critical the next was not good enough. He
told me he understood. Eden said afterwards that he had
 
                                                    never/
 
 
View Original View Previous Page View Next Page Return to Folder IndexReturn to Box Index