740.00119 EAC/4–1545: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 15—10:35 p.m.]
3865. To Erhardt from Winant. In view of Moscow’s 54 to Caserta, April 13, midnight,30b and Departments 330 to Caserta (Department’s 2928 to London April 14, 7 p.m.31) I want to bring you fully up to date on the European Advisory Commission negotiations concerning Austria. Some meetings on Austrian problems, the latest being held on April 10, 12, and 14, have narrowed our disagreements with the Soviets to two points regarding zones and two regarding control machinery.
With regard to zones of occupation preliminary agreement has been reached that France will occupy Tirol-Vorarlberg, United States will occupy Salzburg and Upper Austria minus strip north of Danube, and United Kingdom will occupy Carinthia and Styria minus pre-1938 Burgenland strip, while Soviet forces will occupy Lower Austria, Upper Austria north of Danube, and Burgenland, present Gau boundaries being used except in Burgenland. With regard to Vienna area, Soviets insist rigorously on pre-1938 narrow boundaries of Vienna City. While preferring present Gau Vienna boundaries on grounds of administrative convenience in governing Austria and better air and land accomodations for our forces, United States, United Kingdom and France have been willing to explore adjustments needed in case narrower limits are accepted.
[Page 66]In order to promote a compromise on basis of narrower limits of Vienna, I advanced following formula April 10: “The Schwechat Aerodrome, together with all installations and facilities pertaining thereto, will be under the administrative and operational control of the occupation forces of the United States for the purpose of serving the requirements of the forces of the four occupying powers. The forces of the four occupying powers will enjoy free and unimpeded access to the Schwechat Aerodrome from the city of Vienna.” This formula, which places the four powers on a footing of equality in actual use of Schwechat, gives our forces the necessary control for bringing large transport planes into Vienna. The Soviet representative has been adamant against this or any similar concession, and proposes that United States planes use Aspern Aerodrome under Soviet administrative and operational control. At the close of yesterday’s meeting the Soviet representative stated he was wiring his Government concerning the state of the negotiation.
On April 10, I also advanced following preliminary proposal for division of city of Vienna, on assumption that some arrangement would be made to take care of our air needs in return for abandoning our preference in principle for wider limits of “Greater Vienna”. Division was as follows: Floridsdorf, Brigittenau, Leopoldstadt and Grossenzersdorf to be under Soviet occupation; Josefstadt, Alsergrund, Ottakring, Hernals, Währing, and Döbling to be under French occupation; Mariahilf, Neubau, Margareten, Meidling, Hietzing, Fünfhaus and Penzing to be under United Kingdom occupation; Landstrasse, Wieden, Favoriten and Simmering to be under United States occupation. I proposed the following tentative formula for the Central District: “the inter-Allied authority (Komendatura) will regulate the occupation of the Innere Stadt and the equitable assignment of its facilities among the forces of occupation”. In view of the administrative [apparent omission] and prestige of the United States General participating in control of the Central District, I stood out firmly against the Soviet insistence that it be under sole Soviet occupation. The two points regarding Schwechat Aerodrome and occupation of Innere Stadt are the only questions unresolved.
In order to settle the Innere Stadt question, in case the Russians agreed to let us control Schwechat, I am prepared to advance the following formula: “the district of Innere Stadt will be occupied by forces of the Soviet Union and the inter-Allied authority (Komendatura) will regulate the equitable assignment of its facilities among the staffs of the Allied Commission and the forces of occupation of the four powers”. I have not shown this final compromise formula to the Russians because of their unyielding attitude on the question of Schwechat Aerodrome.
[Page 67]With regard to the control machinery agreement the Commission is in agreement on all except two points. The Soviet representative insists on lumping military, naval and air in one division; I have been standing out for three divisions. The Soviet representative insists on inclusion of a “Restitution, Reparation and Deliveries Division”; I have authority from the Department to accept this, but I have held it in reserve as a means of securing the naval and air divisions.
In resisting categorical Soviet demands for acceptance of their proposals without modification, I have fought to secure arrangements for the aerodrome, Innere Stadt, and naval and air divisions which would enable our military authorities to operate effectively and on a footing of equality in carrying out their responsibilities in Austria.
Sent to Caserta as 85 repeated to Department as 3865.