Evening star., 1948-02-18
The Memoirs of CordeL Hull
Details Of HitIer's Plan for Soviet Invasion
Obtained by u. S. Commercial Attuche in Berlin

1888. The discussion had been
little animated. ....
The first week in June we received
convincing cables from our Lega.
tions in Bucharest and Stockholm
that Germany would invade Russia
within fortnight. The department
sent these reports to Ambassador
Steinhardt in Moscow.
Eight days before Hitler marched
into Russia, Prime Minister Church
i'll sent the President a message
saying that, from every source at
his disposal, it looked to him as If
a vast German onslaught on Russis
were imminent.
If the new war broke out, he said.
Britain would, of course, give all
encouragement and any help she
could spare to the Russians. on the
principle that Hitler was the foe
she had to beat. He said he dis
not expect any class political re-
actions in England and trusted that
a German Russian conflict would
not cause us any embarrassment.
The conflict caused us no embar-
rassment, and gave us renewed hope
of overcoming Hitlerism. From
White Sulphur Springs, T was in
constant touch with the President
and Welles, urging that we give
Russia the most vigorous assurances
of all the help we could extend. The
President sent Harry Hopkins from
London to Moscow to survey Russia's
military needs.
Mr.. Roosevelt released Soviet
blocked funds, and decided not to
apply the Neutrality Act. On Au-
gust Acting Secretary WelleS and
Ambassador Oumansky exchanged
letters, we promising ito give all
economic assistance practicable for
the purpose of strengthening the
Soviet Union in it's struggle against
armed aggression"
On August 4 I saw Oumansky,
who brought with him Soviet Gen.
Golikov. Oumansky's attitude was
now quite different from what it
had been at our last. interview. I
told him of the interest I had taken
while was. away, and especially
since my return, in seeing that Rus
sia got all the military supplies we
could spare.
Gen. Golikov said he had pre-
sented the needs of his government
to the State Department two weeks
before, but the bnly result had been
the shipment of so planes to Russia,
and that Russia needed antiaircraft
and antitank guns most of all. I
offered to redouble my efforts to aid
in speeding the delivery of these
weapons.
Roosevelt Meets Churchill.
AS I talked to my Soviet visitors
the President was engaging in his
Atlantic Conference with Prime
Minister Churchill. Russia attract
ed an important segment of atten-
ton at the conference. After Harry
Hopkins, who was present at the
meeting, made an optimistic report
on the Soviet Unions ability to re-
sist Hitler's invasion, the President
and the Prime Minister agreed on a
statement to be given Stain. The
President wirelessed this to me on
August 13, asking me to cable it to
Moscow.
The two leaders assured Stain
1--WE are at the moment cooperating
to provide you with the very max
imum of supplies that you most
urgently need. Already many ship
loads have left our shores and more
will leave in the immediate future. "
They proposed conference IN
Moscow to analyZe Russia's needs,
with high representatives OF the
United States and Britain going TO
Russia for this purpose.
The story of the Atlantic Con-
ference has been narrated elsewhere
at various times. While it was be-
ing prepared I was recuperating at
White Sulphur Springs, and when I
returned to Washington the Presl-
dent was already en- route to his
rendezvous. Mr.. Roosevelt had
cherished for several months the
idea of personal conference with
Churchill. I first became aware OF
it the end of May.
Welles wrote me at White Sulphur
Springs on July % stating that the
conference had been arranged for
August 8. 9 and 10, and telling me
that he intended to urge the Pres
ident, if he expected to discuss
more than purely military problems.
to take some one. with him who
could keep a precise record of the
conversations and of the agreements
that might be reached.
Much was accomplished at the
conference in the way OF bringing
the President and the Prime Mn
lister into close personal touch with
each others ideas. On the BRUSH
battleship Prince of Wales and on
our cruiser Augusta began that
UNIQUE. intimate relationship be-
tween two great men which did SO
much to speed the outcome OF the
war.
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