740.00119 EAC/8–144: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom ( Winant ) to the Secretary of State

6141. Comea 74. At informal meeting yesterday Strang and Gousev accepted our reservation regarding limited provision of American troops for occupation of Austria in the following text:

“The United States Delegate states that his Government does not contemplate contributing more than a small contingent of United States forces for the occupation of Austria.”

No further progress was made in clearing protocol on Austria since Russians do not accept British reservation of discretion to employ contingents of other Allies among occupation forces under British command.

You will remember from my 5998, July 28 (Comea 73)70 that the Russians agreed to take the phrase “auxiliary contingents” in the German protocol only on the condition that the British would not insist on similar discretion in the Austrian protocol. The British and the Russians therefore are locked on this point which affects both protocols.

The question was again brought forward by Gousev as to the respective zones of occupation to be allocated to the British and ourselves. Strang and I explained to Gousev that we had no further information on this subject.

Due largely to Mosely’s complete command of the Russian language we were able to straighten out the very complicated question of frontier delineation.

I tried again to persuade Gousev to expedite consideration of control machinery and the proclamations and orders but he refused to discuss either subject until the German and Austrian protocols had been cleared.

Winant
  1. Ante, p. 261.