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with his papers for Yalta, and that I talked to him briefly about it. I said, “I know you understand this perfectly, this I.LO. stuff. The important thing is, its independence of budget and charter and program. The Russians have not wanted to join it, but have said they would not look unfavorably upon its establishment. If you get a chance to raise it with Stalin, do--you and Churchill raise it with Stalin.”

But I never heard whether they did or not. I tried very hard to find out. It's my impression, and I think I got this from Charles Bohlen who acted as the interpreter for Roosevelt, though it may not have been from him but from someone who was there in a subordinate capacity, that it was raised. The question was raised informally, friendlily, but that Stalin indicated he didn't want to talk about it and it was dropped, There was so much else that had to be taken up that neither Churchill nor Roosevelt raised it again.

As we were approaching the period when the meeting would be held in San Francisco, and we were deep in the preparations for it, the State Department made this suggestion to me, I think. I don't remember whether I had the idea or they had the idea. Anyhow, we jointly got this idea that we should make one further effort to involve the Russians in it. I got the President to say that he would personally communicate with Stalin about it.