740.00119 EAC/4–445: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 4—10:48 p.m.]
3449. Comea 205. At a long meeting tonight of the EAC the Soviet representative presented amendments to the United Kingdom draft agreement of January 31, on zones of occupation in Austria (my 1064, January 31, 3 p.m. Cornea 168).
Summary of amendments follows. Soviet zone to include province of lower Austria, except city of Vienna in its pre-1938 boundaries, that part of upper Austria situated on left bank of Danube, and entire pre-1938 province of Burgenland. United States zone to include province of Salzburg and that part of upper Austria situated on right bank of the Danube. United Kingdom zone to include province of Carinthia and province of Styria without pre-1938 Burgenland. French zone to include Tirol–Vorarlberg. Article III of United Kingdom draft to provide that boundaries of city of Vienna and province of Burgenland will be those of December 31, 1937: boundaries between zones, aside from these two cases, to be those in effect since decree of October 1, 1938. End of Summary.
During the discussion I reserved the United States position regarding this new proposal. The acting French representative99 accepted the proposed French zone. This is the first occasion on which the Soviet representative has definitely accepted French participation in the occupation of Austria. Gousev presented no proposal for the division of pre-1938’ city of Vienna, but stated that it should be divided into four areas. After the meeting Strang stated privately that his Government was prepared to turn over to the Russians the Styrian part of the Burgenland.
At the close of the discussion Gousev stated his desire to attain agreement promptly, in view of military developments in Austria. Next EAC meeting set for Friday, April 6.
- Pierre Marie Noel de Leusse, Counselor of the French Embassy in London.↩