740.00119 E.W./5–545: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 5—8:47 p.m.]
2408. From Murphy for Matthews. Representatives of Admiral Dönitz and General Busch are now at SHAEF discussing surrender of balance of German forces in the north including Norway. By agreement with the Soviet High Command Russian officers (General Suslaparoff75) are participating and the Allied position is unconditional surrender to the Russians as well as the Anglo-American side. These conversations may go on thru the night and while there is no assurance the Germans will sign, as they apparently hoped to negotiate a surrender to SHAEF without the Russians, it is believed that after telegraphic consultation with Dönitz they will sign probably tomorrow.
Kesselring also has requested permission to send plenipotentiaries and has been informed they will be received on condition that they prepared to surrender unconditionally simultaneously to the Russians and to ourselves. Otherwise local surrenders will be effected to the individual unit commanders. [Murphy.]
- Maj. Gen. Ivan Susloparov, Chief of the Soviet Military Mission to SHAEF.↩