Foreign Relations of the United States, Conferences at Washington and Quebec, 1943

J.C.S. Files

Memorandum by the Secretariat of the Combined Civil Affairs Committee

August 12, 1943, 3 p.m.

secret

Minutes of Meeting¹ Held in Room 4 E 859, Office of Assistant Secretary of War, on Thursday, 12th August 1943 at 1500²

Members Present
Maj. Gen. J. H. Hilldring (Acting Chairman)	Sir David Waley (Rept’g Sir Frederick Phillips)
Mr. James C. Dunn	Sir Ronald Campbell
Captain H. L. Pence, USN	Mr. R. E. Barclay
Others Present
Col. John H. F. Haskell	Col. G. A. Rickards
Col. David Marcus	Col. Rex Benson
Major C. C. Hilliard
Lt. F. F. Fowle, USNR
Secretariat
Col. R. J. Laux (Acting)	Major C. W. Garnett

1. Surrender Terms for Italy ( C.C.S. 258³ and 258/1⁴)

The Committee had before them for their consideration, a comprehensive document containing all the terms of surrender for Italy, which is a revised version of Annex I to C.C.S. 258.⁵

General Hilldring stated that the U.S. views concerning this document are as follows:

a. Since the President appears satisfied with the purely military terms of surrender, furnished by himself and the Prime Minister to General Eisenhower,⁶ he may be reluctant to have these terms superseded by the comprehensive document presently before the Committee, which contains all the terms of surrender, military as well as non-military.

b. Nonetheless, a comprehensive document, including all terms of surrender, as distinguished from the purely military terms, should be available in the event that Italy should offer to surrender directly to either the British or the U.S. Governments.

c. To supplement the present military terms of surrender, there should be presented to the Combined Chiefs of Staff, a document containing the non-military terms of surrender to be forwarded to General Eisenhower.

d. There should also be submitted to the Combined Chiefs of Staff, a directive which would serve as a guide for General Eisenhower in effecting and implementing the terms of surrender, whatever they may be, after the Italians have surrendered.

Sir Ronald Campbell stated that it was his belief that the Prime Minister had agreed to the military terms now in General Eisenhower’s possession as an emergency matter, but that the British Government hoped that there would be time to prepare and furnish to General Eisenhower a comprehensive document, including both the military and non-military terms of surrender. He further stated that both he and British authorities in London had encountered certain difficulties in attempting to separate the military and non-military terms into two separate documents, because of the necessary inter-relation between the two types of terms. In addition to this it was felt that the military terms in the comprehensive document covered points other than those already submitted to General Eisenhower.

General Hilldring then suggested that the matter could be handled by presenting to the Combined Chiefs of Staff, for submission to the President and the Prime Minister at the Quadrant Conference the following alternatives:

a. A comprehensive document including all the terms of surrender.

b. A document including merely the non-military terms (political, economic, and fiscal), which would supplement the military terms now in General Eisenhower’s possession, to be used in the event that the President and the Prime Minister decide not to furnish General Eisenhower with the comprehensive document.

Mr. Dunn stated that he saw no objection to presenting two such alternatives, together with the views of the American and British members.

Sir Ronald Campbell requested that in view of the fact that London regarded the present military terms as requiring amplification, those charged with the drafting of the document containing the non-military terms should, at the same time, indicate in this document such supplementary military terms as might be considered necessary.

The Committee:—

Agreed:

a. That a meeting be held in Mr. Dunn’s Office at 9:30 on 13 August, to:

(1) Revise the comprehensive document now before the Committee.

(2) Draft a document containing the political, economic, and fiscal conditions to supplement the military terms already furnished General Eisenhower.⁷

(3) Draft a proposed directive for General Eisenhower to serve as a guide in effecting and implementing the terms of surrender.

b. That the persons charged with drafting the document referred to in paragraph a. (2) above shall also indicate such supplementary military terms as they may consider necessary.

c. That, when completed, the documents be considered at a special meeting of the Committee, with a view to their approval and submission, as alternatives, to the Combined Chiefs of Staff.

1. C.C.A.C. 5th Meeting.
2. i.e., at 3 p.m.
3. “Surrender Terms for Italy and Draft Declaration and Proclamation”, June 16, 1943; not printed.
4. “Surrender Terms for Italy and Draft Declaration and Proclamation”, July 1., 1913; not printed.
5. For a draft of this paper as of August 3, 1943, see ante, p. 539.
6. See ante, pp. 519, 522, 565.
7. For the text of the “further” or “additional” terms prepared under this decision which Dunn took with him to the First Quebec Conference, see post, p. 602.