Vienna Legation Files, 1945, Part 24, 801.00: Telegram
Major General Alfred M. Gruenther, Deputy United States Commissioner for Austria, to the Joint Chiefs of Staff 59
War Series PV 8330. 1. At October 18th meeting of Executive Committee General Zheltov, who returned from Moscow on October 16th after two weeks visit there, stated that Koniev has received no instructions from Moscow concerning extension of authority of Provisional Austrian Government. Zheltov would give no hint as to action which Soviet Government is likely to take. He declined to consider a draft communication from Allied Council to Renner notifying him of action by the four governments concerning Austrian Provisional Government.
2. Extension of Austrian Provisional Government is on agenda for Allied Council meeting for October 20th. If Koniev has received no instructions by that time British, French and U. S. members will support a proposal to extend the authority of the Provisional Austrian Government to the British, French and U. S. zones since it is already effective in the Russian zone. We will carefully avoid the use of the [Page 633] term “recognition”. We will also stress the importance of proceeding with the elections now tentatively scheduled for November 25th. If Koniev objects to the extension on the grounds that it will embarrass the Soviet Union or refuses to concur in the holding of the national elections you will be advised promptly before any communication is sent to Renner.
3. If Koniev has received instructions approving extension of the Provisional Government a communication from the Allied Council to Renner will be proposed which will conform generally to the October 1st resolution of the Allied Council sent to you in our PV 7841.
4. General McCreery feels that the Allied Council communication to Renner should enumerate functions of government which are reserved to the Allied Council. However this matter has not been thoroughly studied yet and I am certain that Soviets will not agree. In my opinion it will be a difficult matter to secure Soviet agreement on this subject either now or at a later date. All efforts thus far to secure attendance of the Soviet member of the committee to discuss the matter even on an informal basis have been unsuccessful.
5. It has become evident during the past 10 days that the Soviets are following delaying tactics in solving quadripartite problems. At yesterday’s Executive Committee meeting Zheltov stated that he was not prepared to discuss six of the ten subjects on the agenda. The only point of importance which he would consider was the currency conversion program and in that discussion he merely reiterated the Soviet point of view that there should be only one conversion even if we must wait until April 1946 to accomplish it. Separate report is being dispatched to you on this subject today.
- This telegram was sent for information to the Secretary of State and to General Clark, who was temporarily in Washington.↩