740.00119 EAC/7–745: Telegram

No. 277
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom ( Winant ) to the Acting Secretary of State
secret

6858. Under date July 4 UK representative EAC reports communication made by him to his Govt re Austrian reparation. (Sent Dept; Comea 326; rptd AusPolAd 18, Murphy 22 from Winant, Moscow 238 for Pauley). UK statement parallels US statement rpt my tel 6742 rpt AusPolAd 16, Paris 437, for Murphy, Moscow 234 for Pauley.1

Beginning of text:

The EAC have today approved the text of an agreement on control machinery for Austria and submitted it for approval to the UK, US, Soviet and French Govts. In discussing the inclusion in article 4 of that agreement of a provision for a reparation deliveries and restitution division, I stated that while His Majesty’s Govt recognized in principle Austria’s obligation to furnish reparation they are not to be understood as thereby prejudging either the form or the amount of such reparation or Austria’s capacity to furnish reparation. The EAC was not empowered to consider and did not consider the substantive aspects of the question of Austrian reparation. I assume that the four govts will now wish to consider that question in the light of the general prospects of Austria’s economy. End of text.

Winant