740.00119 EAC/142
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
Sir: I transmit herewith a copy of a letter of February 5, 1944 from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, together with its enclosures, relative to surrender terms for Germany. After further deliberation, the Joint Chiefs of Staff have had prepared and approved an “Instrument and Acknowledgment of Unconditional Surrender of Germany” and a “Memorandum in Support of United States Views” for presentation to the European Advisory Commission. These documents are attached as enclosures to the letter of February 5.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff consider that this draft instrument of surrender is in conformity with the general principles set forth in documents WS–10a and WS–12, previously transmitted to you, and has the additional advantage of brevity. You are accordingly requested to submit these two documents to the Commission for its consideration.
You will observe from paragraph six of the “Memorandum in Support of United States Views” that the Joint Chiefs of Staff would prefer that the comprehensive provisions set forth in the British draft of surrender terms be issued subsequent to surrender as directives to the German authorities.
Very truly yours,
- This document was later circulated in the European Advisory Commission by the United States Representative as an annex to memorandum E.A.C. (44) 8 of February 15, and a copy was transmitted to the Department by the Ambassador in the United Kingdom in his despatch 13980, February 18; received February 26.↩