The document was object to short negotiation in Reims: The German generals wanted to persuade Eisenhower to accept a partial surrender, an option he absolutely excluded. The already typed instrument he brought could reflect this attitude. Total surrender was the only way and the only question was when. Dönitz allowed Jodl to sign, but the exact point in time was not decided on beforehand. Eisenhower of course wanted an end to the war as soon as possible. But the Germans wanted to steal time, every hour later made it possible to get more soldiers home (or at least in parts of the country controlled by the Allies) from the eastern front. They "agreed" on May 9th, 00:01 as the final date. Germany used DST, resulting in the odd time.