Evening star., 1944-06-07
Invasion Plans Laid in Teherun
In December, Roosevelt Reveals

IuVuSIOu IQIIS
InDecember,R'
BY J. A. FOX.
Plans for the invasion of con-
quered Europe were made in De-
cember, when President Roosevelt,
Prime Minister Churchill and
Premier Stain met at Teheran, Mr..
Roosevelt disclosed late yesterday,
when he sketched the background
of the history making assault on
Hitler's fortress" at news con-
ference of near-record proportions.
The actual date was left up to
Gen. Dwight d. Eisenhower, and
this was fixed only few days ago,
when the Allied Commander in
Chief decided that the time had
come to strike, the President said.
More than 200 men and women
from press and radio thronged the
Presidents Office for the semiweekly
conference, just few hours after
the long-expected drive on the
French coast had begun. Only at
one of the Roosevelt Churchill press
conferences had this attendance
figure been exceeded, according to
the White House. Reporters found
the President grave and thoughtful,
but obviously in good spirits. AS
usual, he was putting away at a
cigarette.
Calls Conference Happy"
The President started off by say
ing that he thought the conference
was very happy one. He COM
mented that he had noticed that
reporters were smiling as they en-
tered the room, just as other visitors
had been doing.
He had very little news, the Chief
Executive continued, with the ex-
ception of a dispatch from Gen.
Eisenhower, timed at noon, which
he did not believe previously had
been made public.
This announced that American
naval losses in the invasion were
two destroyers and one LIST, and
that air losses, as the President said.
were very slight-less than one Fer
cent. He was not certain If this
figure covered both men and air.
craft, but it was explained later
that it referred to planes.
Invasion Up to Schedule"
Asked how he felt about the in
vasion, the President responded
that "it is up to schedule and. as
the Prime Minister said lin a speech
yesterday, that's mouthful.'" Or
dinarily, the President is not quoted
directly on press conferences, but
this time he said that direct quotes
would be all right.
He next was asked how closely
the secret of the invasion had been
guarded Mr. Roosevelt said that
relatively few people over here
knew about the plans. A great many
people in the War and Navy De-
partments, he continued, new that
we have been sending large forces
overseas, but very few knew the ac-
tual timing Of the attack.
How long have you known this
was the date?" he was asked.
Mr.. Roosevelt reflected for a mo-
ment, then said it was at Teheran, in
December, when he met the heads of
the British and Russian governments,
that it was decided the approximate
date would be at the end of May or
within the first few days of June.
II was only in the last few days, he
added, that the actual date was set.
Knew Troops Were on Way.
When he was making the Mon
day night radio address he knew
the troops were on their way across
the English channel, the President
amplified.
Asked how the invasion time
could be fixed so far in advance, the
President countered by asking If
his queStioner ever had crossed the
English Channel. That is a notori-
ously rough stretch of water, he
added, both for wind and weather.
and it was necessary to figure on a
time when what he called small
boat weather would prevail. That
brand Goes not set in until May,
Mr.. Roosevelt said. After the in
vasion date was fixed, he said, there
was only the single delay of a day.
and that, as is known, was due to
adverse weather.
Some one asked if the invasion
was timed to coincide with the fall
of Rome.
The President said no: that we
didn't know when Rome was going
to fall
AS time goes on, the President
commented, it will be made clearer
why the clamor of politicians and
Others for action did not bring
about the opening of the second
front earlier.
Reminisces on Last War.
Reminiscing, the President said
that in the early days of the First
World War a figure whom he did
not identify Git was William Jen-
nings Bryan had said that III
America was attacked a million
men would spring to arms over
night. 1t doesn't happen that way
he continued. This invasion, he
said, had been thought about since
late in l94l' and early 1912 by the
chiefs of staff, but the preparations
were far bigger and far more diff
cult than any one but military men
realized.
We had so little In thu vav of