Telegram from Herschel V. Johnson II to Secrertary of State Edward Stettinius

DEPARTMENT INCOMING DIVISION OF OF CENTRAL SERVICES STATE TELEGRAM TELEGRAPH SECTION DMH-1714 Stockholm This telegram must be closely paraphrased be- Dated May 5, 1945 fore being communicated to anyone. (SECRET) Rec'd 5:23 p.m. Secretary of State DECLASSIFIED Washington E.O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E) Dept. of State letter, Aug. 10, 1972 US URGENT BYMLT-HL NARS Date 7.25.75 1714, May 5, 7 p.m. TOP SECRET Kleist arranged an urgent conference with Olsen this morning in order to follow up the Norwegian situation. He stated that he had just been advised "from an unquestionable source" that all plans for the capitulation of the German forces in Norway were now virtually completed but would require perhaps a few days to carry out. He stated that the program had been worked out in Copenhagen by Donitz, Schellenberg, Best, Terboven and one or two of the German military authorities in Norway. He added that the program had been communicated or was in the process of being com- municated to Montgomery. The primary obstacle was the time and method of capitulation, arising from the fact that there were no acceptable Allied forces in Norway to which to capitulate. He said that an immediate capitulation ARCHIVES "NATIONAL RECORDS AND SERVICER