740.00119 Control (Austria)/10–2545: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:15 p.m.]
11172. Embassy’s 11146, Oct 24, 7 p.m.70 Foreign Office has now decided to postpone any démarche in Moscow on Soviet decision to exchange diplomatic representatives with Austria pending consultation with French and ourselves.
Foreign Office view is that this is further disturbing example of Russian reluctance of [to] cooperate, an attempt to gratify Austrian Provisional Govt and people whom Soviet policy and troops are otherwise antagonizing in various ways, and a further attempt to secure pre-eminence in Austrian affairs.
Foreign Office feels that since Soviets have again stolen a march on other Allies it would not be in interest of Western Allies to hold back express disapproval and leave field to Russians. It is accordingly asking Paris and Washington whether it would not be better to give three Political Advisers in Vienna status of those in Bulgaria, Bucharest and Sofia, i.e. personal rank of Minister.71
Sent Dept as 11172; repeated to Vienna as 69; Moscow as 365 and Paris as 684.
- Not printed; it reported that the Foreign Office was “puzzled and annoyed” by the announced Soviet intention of exchanging diplomatic representatives with the Austrian Provisional Government (740.00119 Control (Austria)/10–2445).↩
- In telegram 376, from Vienna, October 23, after reporting the Soviet invitation to Austria to establish diplomatic relations, Mr. Erhardt observed: “My own view is that as long as Allied Council is vested with supreme authority in Austria it would be inappropriate for Allied powers to establish formal diplomatic relations with Provisional Government. The American position in the Allied Council has been that Austria might have representatives abroad but on a lower level, primarily for trade purposes.” (740.00119 Control (Austria)/10–2345)↩