MEETING LIKELY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 November 1943, Page 3

MEETING LIKELY

CHURCHILL, ROOSEVELT AND STALIN ATMOSPHERE AT KREMLJN DINNER . - FRIENDLY AND INFORMAL . LONDON, November 1. Mr Churchill, President Roosevelt, and Premier Stalin will meet in the very near future,” says the “Daily Mail’s” diplomatic correspondent. The time and place for the meeting are secret, but it is possible Premier Stalin will for the first time travel outside Russia to attend. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that Premier Stalin at the Kremlin dinner, which was most friendly and informal, and at which there were 60 guests, drank toasts to the First and Eighth Armies and also to Generals Clark and Montgomery. In a speech he specially paid tribute to the parts taken by Generals Montgomery and Clark in the common war effort. Referring to the Allied navies and merchant navies, Premier Stalin said: “We do not talk much about the navies, but we understand the task they are carrying out.”

The talk was animated throughout the dinner. The toast list included Premier Stalin, Mr Roosevelt, and Mr Churchill, the armed forces of the three countries, victory, co-operation after the victory, and the British and American Air Forces. One guest said it would be difficult to describe the cordiality; it was not just most convivial, it was a matter of real friends and comrades in arms sitting down together after good work done. Premier Stalin shook hands with his guests as they left the Kremlin at about 2.30 a.m., and after a six hours’ visit. - _