Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, European Advisory Commission, Austria, Germany, Volume III

863.01/1–1845: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Caffery)

Washington, March 16, 1945—10 p.m.

1051. For your background information, in connection with matters such as Archduke Charles’¹⁰ request described in your 240 January 18, noon,¹¹ the Department has been following closely and with interest the efforts of individuals and groups both inside and outside of Austria to organize Austrian resistance. So far, however, it has not seen evidence of any coalition that would warrant or merit any support from this country that might be interpreted as constituting political recognition, or any formal recommendation by the Department of State to the military authorities that material aid be granted beyond such arrangements for the encouragement of individual acts of sabotage or other aids to military operations as the military authorities themselves may on their own initiative take to further military operations as such.

For your background information in connection with your 240, January 18, noon, the effort to form an Austrian battalion in the United States with War Department cooperation ended in failure largely as a result of the efforts of Archduke Otto to assume a position of leadership in the enterprise.

For your own background information, Erhardt¹² is now in London, expecting to leave within a few days for Naples or Caserta where he will establish his office as United States Political Adviser on Austrian Affairs,¹³ pending further developments.

Stettinius

10. Brother of Archduke Otto of Habsburg.
11. Not printed; this telegram reported a conversation between the Archduke Charles and Samuel Reber, Jr., Political Officer at Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Forces, in which the Archduke requested American military aid for the Austrian resistance movement (863.01/1–1845).
12. John G. Erhardt.
13. For a definition of the scope of Mr. Erhardt’s mission, and his relationship to the U.S. military authorities, as well as the basic outline of U.S. policy toward Austria, see the letter to him from the Secretary of State, April 3, p. 36.