740.00119 Control (Austria) /2–2445: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
1544. For Gray from Riddleberger. It is true as suggested in your 1921 February 24, 2 p.m., that the War Department desires to place in the hands of the American Commander in Austria an interim directive in which he can find guidance in the event that he should fail to receive such guidance either because of an interval between termination of SACMED63 and inauguration of an ACC64 or as a result of indecision by latter. The initial draft65 prepared by the War Department for this purpose was based on JCS 1067 without taking into account all the basic differences between Germany and Austria. The Department has now prepared a re-draft65 to incorporate appropriate consideration of the political differences between Germany and Austria. This is now being studied in the War Department. Erhardt was here when it was written and participated in one of our meetings with CAD66 officers.
While it would of course be undesirable to have such a directive solely in terms of 1067, a directive properly framed to suit the Austrian situation would be desirable. We are therefore collaborating with CAD in an endeavor to produce one. Although the Army desires it primarily for the guidance of US forces, it would also presumably be submitted to EAC for consideration as an interim directive to all commanders.
Some delay in the Department’s telegrams on EAC business is inevitable since the Department refrains from sending such telegrams until they have been cleared by the Joint Chiefs of Staff or the War and Navy Departments. However, we will endeavor to keep these delays to a minimum and to keep you informed as promptly as we can under the circumstances.
We assume that the directives mentioned in your 1921 as being planned in London would not be in the nature of interim directives.
It would be helpful to us to have two copies of the latest version of the MG67 handbook for Austria compiled in London. [Riddleberger.]