740.00119 European War/2035: Telegram
Mr. William Phillips, Political Adviser at the Headquarters of the Supreme Allied Commander, to the Secretary of State
[Received December 17—8:02 p.m.]
W–8636.2 For Dunn.3 It appears that at the Teheran Conference4 some objection was raised by Marshal Stalin5 to the formula “Unconditional Surrender” and that the Prime Minister6 agreed with the Marshal’s viewpoint. There is, however, no record of the attitude of the President, although it is said that he did not dissent.
2. The Foreign Office suggest for consideration that the term “Unconditional Surrender” should be avoided until a final decision has been reached between the US and British Governments, and for the time being that the phrase to be used should be “prompt surrender.” Have you any comment?
- War Department telegram.↩
- James C. Dunn, Adviser on Political Relations.↩
- See Foreign Relations, The Conferences at Cairo and Tehran, 1943, pp. 513, 854–855, 862–863.↩
- Marshal Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin, Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars of the Soviet Union.↩
- British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill.↩