Office of the Historian

740.00119 EAC/7–745: Telegram

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

London, July 7, 1945—2 p.m.
[Received 4:06 p.m.]

6857. Comea 325. At July 6 EAC meeting Gousev explained that because of mistake in decoding he had not been instructed accept UK proposal exchange Wieden and Favoriten districts for Landstrasse and Simmering in determination areas of occupation in Vienna (my tel 6584 June 29 rptd AusPolAd 9 and Paris 417 for Murphy). UK [Page 156] rep agreed accept this change.85 Draft agreement zones in Austria (my tel 6713, July 386 rptd AusPolAd 13 and Paris 431 for Murphy) should now be modified to place Landstrasse and Simmering in UK area and Wieden and Favoriten in Soviet area.

July 6 EAC unable complete agreement Austrian zones. Gousevlacks instructions authorizing inclusion in report of specific recognition of principles of free transit for Allied goods and supplies and common use Vienna facilities. Gousev proposed each delegation inform its Govt of discussion this subject and state that each had been unable agree inclusion these provisions. I rejected this procedure as emphasizing failure agree these principles.

In order overcome deadlock and complete agreement I proposed that each delegation have identical communication its Govt as follows: “The question of the working out of practical arrangements to assure free transit throughout Austria by road, rail, air and water for the goods and supplies required by the forces of occupation in Austria including those forces allotted for the occupation of the city of Vienna and by the Allied Commission and for the common use of transport and communication facilities and public utility services in the city of Vienna was considered in the Commission. The latter did not find it necessary to include this point in its report and concluded that it should be referred to the Allied Council.” This formula would make clear to Govts and Allied Council that EAC assumed validity these two principles. Soviet delegation accepted US formula for identical communication to Govts.

UK delegation proposed additional sentence to US formula as follows: “The Commission recommends that the Allied Council should be informed that these principles of free transit and common use are accepted by the four Govts and should be invited to make the necessary arrangements for their application and regulation.” Soviet delegation rejected this addition.

In view failure reach agreement re transit and municipal facilities UK and French representatives declined to formalize provisional acceptance Soviet proposal of Schwechat airfield for joint use UK French forces (my tel 6739, July 4 rptd AusPolad 15 Paris 434 for Murphy).

Next EAC meeting July 9. Gousev plans leave for Moscow Tuesday.87

Sent Dept as 6857; rptd AusPolAd 17; repeated Murphy 21.

Winant
  1. The United States and French Representatives also agreed to the change at this time↩
  2. Not printed, but see footnote 80, p. 154 ↩
  3. Ambassador Gousev was present for the European Advisory Commission meeting on Tuesday, July 9↩