J.C.S. Files
Memorandum by the Secretariat of the Combined, Civil Affairs Committee
Minutes of Meeting1 Held in Room 4 E 859, Office of Assistant Secretary of War, on Thursday, 5 August 1943 at 16002
| Members Present | |
| Hon. John J. McCloy (Chairman) | Lieut. Gen. G. N. Macready |
| Mr. James C. Dunn | Sir David Waley (Rept’g Sir Frederick Phillips) |
| Maj. Gen. J. H. Hilldring | Mr. R. E. Barclay (Rept’g Sir Ronald Campbell) |
| Capt. H. L. Pence, USN | Mr. A. D. Marris |
| Others Present | |
| Col. John H. F. Haskell (For cells 1 and 2 only) | Mr. Wm. Hayter |
| Col. Rex Benson | |
| Secretariat | |
| Colonel T. W. Hammond, Jr. | Major C. W. Garnett |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5. Surrender Terms for Italy ( C.C.S. 2583 and 258/14)
Mr. McCloy invited a discussion by the Committee of the procedure to follow in attempting to settle the matter. Mr. McCloy reviewed the fact that the President and the Prime Minister recently settled the question of military terms of surrender for Italy by furnishing General Eisenhower a military document with which he is authorized to accept an Italian surrender.5
Mr. McCloy pointed out that the document did not contain a “saving” clause which would authorize him to act, if desirable, in effecting political conditions, as well as military. He further stated that the additional conditions should be drawn up, agreed upon and made available to General Eisenhower as soon as possible.
General Macready stated that the War Cabinet feels that a comprehensive, all-inclusive paper should be available, and that General Eisenhower should have a]l the terms available which will be imposed upon the Italians. The so-called Document A6 (Amended version of Annex 1, C.C.S. 258) would be an appropriate document.
General Hilldring stated that the President and the Prime Minister have now decided on a military armistice. General Hilldring agreed that preparations should begin at once on the more inclusive terms mentioned above.
Mr. Hayter stated that although the Prime Minister had agreed with the President on the military armistice furnished to General Eisenhower, he did so only because it was essential for General Eisenhower to have some form of document at once. The Prime Minister adheres, however, to the view that an all-inclusive document should be furnished to him.
Mr. Dunn stated that in his opinion, it appeared desirable to prepare two documents: The first, an agreed version of the so-called Document A mentioned above, which would tell the Italians what they were to do. The second document should be a directive telling General Eisenhower how to implement the first document.
[Page 561]The Committee:—
Agreed:
- a.
- That a draft cable to General Eisenhower be prepared by the Secretaries and submitted to the Combined Chiefs of Staff for their consideration and submission to the President and Prime Minister for their approval. The draft cable should inform General Eisenhower that the matter of an all-inclusive surrender document was now under consideration, and if approved, would be transmitted at a later date. However, in the meantime, if he is called upon to impose the military terms now in his possession, he should make it clear to the surrendering authority that these terms are purely of a military nature, and that further all-embracing conditions will follow.7
- b.
- That a meeting be held in Mr. Dunn’s Office at 9:30 A.M., 6 August, for the purpose of revising Document “A”.
- c.
- That after the action in c [b] above has been completed to prepare a Directive to General Eisenhower to implement the revised Document “A”.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- C.C.A.C. 4th Meeting.↩
- i.e., at 4 p.m.↩
- “Surrender Terms for Italy and Draft Declaration and Proclamation”, June 16, 1943; not printed.↩
- “Surrender Terms for Italy and Draft Declaration and Proclamation”, July 1, 1943; not printed.↩
- See ante, pp. 519, 522.↩
- See ante, p. 537, fn. 1, and p. 538, fn. 6.↩
- For the action taken on this subject at the 105th Meeting of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, August 6, 1943, see post, p. 565.↩