701.6163/11–745
The Department of State to the British Embassy
Memorandum
The Department of State refers to the aide-mémoire of the British Embassy of November 7, 1945 (1904/173/45) and the aide-mémoire of November 7, 1945 (1904/174/45)9 in transmitting the following views on the resumption of diplomatic relations with the Provisional Austrian Government:
- 1.
- The Department of State is in agreement with the view expressed in the aide-mémoire that no useful purpose can be served by raising in Moscow the question of unilateral action of the Soviet Government in informing the Provisional Austrian Government that it is now prepared to exchange diplomatic representation. No formal reply will be sent to the note of the Soviet Government presented to the [Page 658] American Embassy in Moscow on October 22, 194511 to the effect that the Provisional Austrian Government would be asked to exchange diplomatic representatives.
- 2.
- Instructions have been sent to the United States member of the Allied Council in Vienna12 to recommend the establishment of a system of representation whereby the Provisional Austrian Government may deal directly with the governments of the four-powers and neighboring states on such matters which do not affect the supreme authority of the Allied Council in Austria or which may be reserved for the exclusive jurisdiction of the Allied Council. The United States Government has designated John G. Erhardt to serve simultaneously as political representative to the Provisional Austrian Government with the personal rank of Minister and as Political Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of the United States forces in Austria.
- 3.
- The Department of State agrees that it is desirable to maintain for the present the principle of quadripartite control in Austria on all matters affecting the foreign relations, including international trade and finance of the Provisional Austrian Government. Consequently the United States member of the Allied Council has been instructed to recommend that control and supervision of the policies adopted in Austrian foreign relations be reserved to the Allied Council under the terms of its various resolutions proclaiming its supreme authority in Austria until such time that the Council acting on the recommendations of the four governments concerned relinquishes its supreme authority and transfers its sovereign rights to a freely elected Austrian government.
- 4.
- An informal approach has been made to the United States Political Advisor, Mr. Erhardt, by Dr. Gruber, Under Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, suggesting that Dr. Richard Schueller, a political refugee in the United States, be designated as Austrian representative. The Political Advisor has been informed that in view of Dr. Schueller’s political activity in the United States it would be preferable to send a representative or agent directly from Austria to deal with Consular matters and questions of trade and finance which do not affect the supreme authority of the Allied Council in Austria. The United States Government has expressed its willingness to accept the establishment of an agency of the Provisional Austrian Government in Washington.
Washington
, November
21, 1945.