740.00119 European War 1939/1618
The British Embassy to the Department of State 68
The following instructions were sent to His Majesty’s Ambassador at Moscow on August 25th.
My immediately succeeding telegram contains full text of instrument of surrender for Italy which has now been approved by the President and the Prime Minister. You should communicate this text to Marshal Stalin explaining that it has only now been got into final shape and say that we hope that Soviet Goverment will consider, as they did in the case of the summary previously communicated to them, that this document is suitable and adequately covers the interests of the U. S. S. R.
- 2.
- Marshal Stalin will observe that the preamble provides that surrender shall be concluded with Italy by the United States and United Kingdom Governments on behalf of the United Nations. It is proposed that General Eisenhower should sign the instrument. His Majesty’s Government hope that these arrangements will be agreeable to the Soviet Government and that they will empower General Eisenhower to sign the instrument on their behalf as he will on behalf of all the other United Nations who are at war with Italy including the United Kingdom.
- 3.
- You should say that the instrument is being sent to Lisbon where it will be presented to the Italian emissaries should they return to that town with an explanation that it embodies points already handed to them and also contains the additional points which they were warned to expect. General Eisenhower is being sent the text with similar instructions in case the Italians get into direct touch with his headquarters. General Castellano69 has stated that his Government would give their answer either 28/8 or 29/8 and if by midnight of 30/8 no message had been received we should assume that our terms had not been accepted.
- 4.
- You should say that whilst under the procedure we intend to follow in the event of acceptance there will be only one signatory on behalf of all the United Nations, if the Soviet Government desire that their representative should be present at the time of signature, we would welcome this. In that case arrangements should be put in hand at once.
- 5.
- If you are asked whether the Soviet Government are expected to offer comments on the instrument, you should reply that comments would no doubt be sympathetically examined but the Soviet Government [Page 356] will appreciate that in view of the time factor it may be physically impossible to give effect to them.
- 6.
- I am repeating this telegram to Washington to ask that the United States Ambassador in Moscow should be instructed to make similar communication to Marshal Stalin. Unfortunately there is no time to concert joint action.