740.00119 EAC/52: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)

475. Personal for the Ambassador. Your 427, January 18, 8 p.m.74

1.
A comprehensive set of documents respecting surrender terms for Germany and Rumania which were prepared in the Department are being sent informally to you, and will be brought by Lieutenant-Commander [Page 160] Sargent75 who is assigned to Admiral Stark76 and who has already departed from Washington. These documents are arranged according to the state of their clearance which Sargent, who has represented the Navy on the Working Security Committee, can explain. You will note that certain of them are preliminary even in this Department, while others have received our approval as explained below. I understand that another set of this documentation is being brought by Brigadier-General C. W. Wickersham,77 likewise assigned to London and who has departed by air.
2.
With respect to documents on Germany, WS–10–A entitled “Provisions for Imposition upon Germany at Time of Surrender”78 and WS–12,79 which is comment thereon, have been approved by State Department, by Working Security Committee, and are now before the Joint Chiefs of Staff.80 We envisaged that WS–10–A would be placed before the Commission as an American document, and presented as a basis for discussion. The commentary in WS–12 is designed for your background information and for guidance in the Commission’s discussions. WS–481 comprising a letter of December 20, 1943 from the Joint Chiefs of Staff commenting upon the memorandum (WS–1) entitled “Treatment of Germany” presented by the American Delegation at Moscow, October 25, 1943,82 is likewise for your information and guidance. Other papers on Germany have not yet received clearance either in State or War and Navy Departments.
3.
With respect to documents on Rumania, WS–16–A entitled “Provisions for Imposition on Rumania at Time of Surrender” and WS–1783 consisting of commentary thereon, have been approved by State Department, by Working Security Committee, and are before the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Please note carefully that the commentary set forth in WS–17 is for your information and guidance only, and should not be submitted to the Commission.
4.
It is believed that this documentation will enable you to commence work on the problem, albeit tentatively, with information on the Department’s line of thought at least. The British drafts on [Page 161] Germany have been received, and are now under consideration by the Working Security Committee, and we shall transmit any pertinent comment as soon as possible. You will no doubt find, however, that the American documents described in paragraphs 2 and 3 preceding will, as they cover much the same ground, provide you with material for comment upon the British drafts.
5.
Department is taking further steps to expedite clearance of documents.
Hull
  1. Not printed; it requested the Department to provide material for submission to the European Advisory Commission so that the Commission could begin its work (740.00119 EAC/52).
  2. Lt. Comdr. Willis Sargent, Assistant Naval Adviser to the United States Representative on the European Advisory Commission.
  3. Adm. Harold R. Stark, Commander, United States Naval Forces in Europe and Chief Naval Adviser to the United States Representative on the European Advisory Commission.
  4. Brig. Gen. Cornelius W. Wickersham, Military Adviser to the United States Representative on the European Advisory Commission.
  5. Ante, p. 104.
  6. Ante, p. 100.
  7. Telegram 578, Eacom 1, dated January 24, to London, reported that WS–10a and WS–12 had been approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (740.00119 EAC/52).
  8. Not printed.
  9. Printed as Moscow Conference Document No. 20, Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. i, p. 720.
  10. Vol. iv, pp. 136 and 142, respectively.