Unconditional Surrender Of Germany Was The Personal Policy Of Late Mr. Roosevelt

Wanganui Chronicle, 23 July 1949, Page 5

Unconditional Surrender Of Germany Was The Personal Policy Of Late Mr. Roosevelt

Records Show That Mr. Churchill Was Dumbfounded At The Suggestion

NEW YOKE, July 21 (Rec. 8 pm).—Documents in the United States confirmed Mr. Churchill’s statement that he agreed only reluctantly to President Roosevelt’s “unconditional surrender” policy for Germany, says the New York “Times.”

It quoted memoirs of the U.S.A, wartime Secretary of State, Mr. Cordell Hull, which said that unconditional surrender originally had not formed part of the State Department’s thinking. “We were as much surprised as Mr. Churchill, when, for the first time, President Roosevelt, in Mr. Churchills presence, stated it suddenly to a Press conference during the Casablanca conference in January, 1943. “I was told the Prime Minister was dumbfounded," wrote Mr. Hull.

The British Foreign Office had asked that the term “unconditional surder” be avoided, pending further reflection, Mr. Hull wrote, and that the expression “prompt surrender” be used instead. The “Times” said confirmation that the surrender policy was entirely President Roosevelt’s was given by the noted author Robert Sherwood, in his book “Roosevelt and Hopkins.” Sherwood recorded that Mr. Roosevelt completely absolved Mr. Churchill of any responsibility for the position announced at Casablanca.