Message from the United States Military Attache to President Harry S. Truman

SECRET 27/10/45 JUN 30 P.M. SECRET - TOT 12 18/18) file 30 June 1945 of From: U. S. Military Attache, London, England. To : The President of The United States. Nr : 2249 Filed 301810z. x486 X349 + From Jackson through Winant to Judge Samuel Rosenman. Russian counter-proposals explained yesterday. Posi- tion is that by Crimea and MOSCOW declarations these prison- ers and organizations are already convicted by political de- cision and only function of international commission is to carry out the decision and inflict punishment. They consider it unnecessary to accept principle of disinterested judges. They want trials by their method and in part in their terri- tory. They object to trial of the organizations and contem- plate a long series of individual trials with the court mov- ing on circuit and sitting part of the time in Russian con- trolled territory. They would have the trial a mere ratifi- cation of the decision to execute. I have attempted to ex- plain why this could not be made acceptable to American pub- lic and is inconsistent with the basic assumptions of our proposal as outlined in the memorandum you delivered Molotov X 220 BARTY & ARCHIVES "NATIONAL RECORDS TRUMAN AND LIGHT DECLASSIFIED x 325-A E.O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E) U.S. GOVERNMENT SERVICE" x 325 SECRET OSD letter, May 3, 1972 NLT-HC Nars Date 2.5.76 x 325-B