740.00119 EAC/177
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 11.]
Sir: With reference to your telegram No. 2293 of March 25, 4 p.m., inquiring as to the possibility of making an arrangement through the European Advisory Commission to ensure that important diplomatic and other records of the Axis governments and their satellites be made available to the American Government, I have the honor to report that the British and Russian Delegates on the Commission40 have been informally asked whether they would be willing to take up this question in the Commission. The Russian Delegate has not yet replied, and probably will not do so until the terms of surrender for Germany have been agreed upon in the Commission.41 The British Delegate in a letter dated May 1, 1944 replied as follows:
“This is a matter to which we have already given some attention, and I agree with you that it would be desirable to reach agreement about it in the Commission.
I hope shortly to be able to send you and Monsieur Gousev some proposals which we are formulating.”
The question of obtaining and examining enemy records and archives, including records of the German General Staff, is one of the subjects which is being considered by the planning group which has been set up within the American Delegation, as it is intended that a directive to the Allied and Soviet Commanders-in-Chief on this subject will ultimately be drawn up in the Commission.
Respectfully yours,
Secretary to the U.S. Delegation European Advisory Commission