740.00119 E.A.C./7–144: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:30 a.m.]
5206. Comea59 66. See my 5205, July 1, 3 a.m.60 and my 4844, June 17, 4 p.m. The following is the text of a draft protocol on the occupation of Austria which the Russian delegation circulated to the EAC simultaneously with, but separate from, their “revised draft protocol” on the occupation of Germany:
“Protocol of an agreement between the Governments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, regarding the military occupation of Austria after the surrender of Germany.
- 1.
- The Governments of the USSR, the UK and the USA have agreed that the whole territory of Austria, within her frontiers as they were on the thirty-first of December 1937 will be occupied jointly by armed forces of the USSR, the UK and the USA.
- 2.
- The present protocol has been drawn up in triplicate in the Russian and English languages, both texts being authentic.”
In submitting this brief protocol on Austria the Russians have tried to meet me half way by simply setting out the principle of tripartite occupation by armed forces of the USSR, the UK, and the USA.
It was the British intention [to?] lay out a detailed occupation program which might have committed us to policing one third of the country under joint control authority. At our meeting this afternoon it was agreed that if the Austrian protocol proposed by the Russians was accepted the details of the occupation and administration would be worked out at some later date.
Since I cannot get Ambassador Gousev61 to agree to submit officially to the respective Governments the surrender terms and the protocol on the occupation of Germany, including the occupation and administration of Berlin, unless we also include the protocol on Austria as herein submitted, I hope you will be able to clear this brief agreement in principle on Austria.