Telegram from George Kennan to Secrertary of State Edward Stettinius

DEPARTMENT INCOMING DIVISION OF OF CENTRAL SERVICES STATE TELEGRAM TELEGRAPH SECTION DCG-1652 Moscow via Army This telegram must be closely paraphrasÉd be- Dated May 9, 1945 fore being communicated to anyonE. (SECRET) Rec'd 6:45 a.m. SEcretary of State, DECLASSIFIED E.O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E) Washington. Dept. of State letter, Aug. 10, 1972 By WLT-HC. NARS Date 7.25.75 1519, May 9, Noon. The unconditional surrender of GErmany was made known here by radio shortly after 2 o'clock this morning. The public loudspeakers WETE not used and relatively f EW pEople WETE aware of what had happened. During the hour or two following the announc ement SEVERAL organiz ed groups of young pEople, probably PionEErs or Young Communist League members, marched through the Empty streets of the center of the city singing and a considerable number of planes with navigation lights burning circled over the vicinity of the Kremlin. The radio has been repeating the announc ement hourly EVER since and today has be en declared a holiday and day of rejoicing. With bright sunny weather, pleased but for the most part sober crowds of pEople are already beginning to promenade on the main Themad streEts. ARCHIVES S. "NATIONAL SERVICE RECORDS AND The Soviet radio appears to have made thus far no reference in any of its announeements to the original surrender