rge-scale submarine warfare. As he concluded, he pointed out that Danzig was a great submarine meeting place, and that the Russian frontlines, which are approaching that city, were an immense pride of his. The rest of the evening was quite productive, actually, but rather uneventful, and Stalin did not cause any further disturbances. I am presently preparing myself for the banquet, which is about to begin. I must end this entry now. I cannot be late for the banquet. Till tomorrow.Franklin Delano RooseveltFebruary 5th, 1945Dear Diary, The banquet, which I hosted last night, was a social affair unlike any other I've ever attended. The menu featured sturgeon and caviar, exquisite foreign delicacies, as well as American cuisine such as sweet potatoes and fried chicken. Surprisingly, I found myself in a rather good mood, and entertained the company with a hearty amount of prep-school humor. This Stalin found incredibly puzzling, and was obligated to inquire of his interpreter what much of this meant. It was quite a sight to see him bickering incessantly back and forth with his poor interpreter, trying to make sense of it all. This humored even Churchill. I remember one particular joke I cracked, quite funny, which Stalin could not make head or tails out of. When it was finally explained to him, his face turned bright red and he remarked that he would charge me for 500 bottles of Russian champagne but give me 30 years to pay. I then informed him that for two years now Churchill and I had been cabling back and forth to one another that we had a term of endearment for Stalin, which is, of course, "Uncle Joe." Stalin had not the faintest idea what it meant, so he shot another bombardment of Russian at the interpreter. Stalin thought it was an insult. Even after Churchill and I informed him what it meant he was still offended. It was quite a sight to see. Churchill, not wanting to further annoy Stalin, proposed a toast to "the proleta...
