Foreign Relations of the United States, Conferences at Washington and Quebec, 1943

J.C.S. Files

The Joint Chiefs of Staff to the President

[Washington,] 6 August 1943.

Memorandum for the President

Subject: Surrender Terms for Italy.

At their meeting today the Combined Chiefs of Staff agreed that the following message should be sent to General Eisenhower. The Prime Minister is being informed of this message by Representatives of the British Chiefs of Staff:

“You have no doubt observed that the terms of surrender furnished to you by the President and Prime Minister relate entirely to the military aspects of unconditional surrender.¹ Should you be called upon to impose the terms now in your possession, you should make it clear to the surrendering authority that these terms are purely of a military nature and that other conditions of a political, economic and financial nature will be transmitted at a later date.”

For the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

G C Marshall

Chief of Staff, U.S. Army

1. See ante, pp. 519, 522.