740.00119 EAC/5–1345: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:35 a.m.]
4782. Comea 244. At tonight’s meeting of the EAC I urged that the text of the draft declaration on German defeat, if approved by the four Governments, be communicated to those United Nations [Page 291] which have actively participated in the defeat of Germany.53 In courteous but insistent form Gousev insisted that the Warsaw Polish Government be included among those Governments.
At a later state [stage?] of the discussion, Gousev proposed that the EAC refer to the four Governments the examination of the question of informing other Allied Governments of the declaration. Since this proposal would have resulted in transferring to the governmental level a question on which the EAC was unable to arrive at any recommendation, I joined with my colleagues on the EAC in agreeing not to make any recommendation on this subject. Accordingly the protocol on the approval of the draft declaration contains no reference to the question of communicating it to other Allied Governments.
In my understanding, this leaves the British Government free to communicate the text, if it is approved by the four Governments, to the Dominion Governments, and the Soviet Government to communicate it to the Warsaw Polish Government, and the United States Government to communicate it to any of the European Allies, the Dominions and Brazil. In this connection please read my 4709, May 10, 10 p.m.
- Telegram 4778, Cornea 242, May 12, from London, reported that the European Advisory Commission signed the official protocol approving the draft declaration regarding the defeat of Germany and the assumption of supreme authority with respect to Germany on the evening of May 12 for submission to the four governments for approval (740.00119 EAC/5–1245).↩