740.00119 EW/5–1045: Telegram
The United States Political Adviser for Germany (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 10—5:35 p.m.]
2517. Reference is made to Department’s 1950, May 9, 3 p.m.38 and my 2493, May 9, 9 p.m.39 SHAEF is not informed regarding the [Page 285] complete coordination and agreement in London reported by Ambassador Winant on surrender requirements for Germany. The Chief of Staff informs me that SHAEF has never received a directive from the Combined Chiefs of Staff on the subject of surrender terms negotiated in the EAC. Unfortunately a JCS paper on this subject which was received some time ago and which would have been a valuable guide was completely overlooked. In the absence of a Combined Chiefs of Staff directive and in view of the urgent circumstances, the short surrender document was drafted by SHAEF officers and reported to the Combined Chiefs of Staff, the British Chiefs of Staff and the Soviet High Command as best suited to the military situation. The Prime Minister requested a copy of the instrument of surrender and was referred by SHAEF to the text as reported to the Combined Chiefs of Staff. Supreme Headquarters states that it has no specific plans regarding the surrender terms negotiated in the EAC but suggests that any items covered by that document and not included in the terms of surrender or in the instructions which accompanied them could well be made the subject of additional instructions to the German High Command.
Repeated to London for Winant.