740.00119 Control (Austria)/4–1945: Telegram
The United States Political Adviser on Austrian Affairs (Erhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 19—6:15 p.m.]
1631. Department’s 341 of April 17, 5 p.m. and previous. The Department’s telegrams make it quite clear that mission in Vienna will have authority only to examine situation and make recommendations regarding the zoning of Vienna, including the Innere Stadt. It will have no authority to settle the matter on the spot, the ultimate decision on this to be made through EAC. It is regarded as of importance here that the political and military heads of the British, French and American elements of the mission receive identical instructions on this point, and also that Soviets be informed, in order that there can be no cause for misunderstanding as to precise terms of reference of the mission. I am led to make this comment because this morning I learned that British Chiefs of Staff had notified Marshal Alexander that British Foreign Office has asked Soviet Government to confirm its invitation, and also to confirm that purpose of meeting in Vienna is to negotiate a settlement of points relating to zoning of Vienna, which have not been decided at EAC level.
The British Chiefs of Staff have also suggested that Marshal Alexander go on this mission and remain for a day or two if he can. The former are asking JSM44 to request United States Chiefs of Staff to send parallel instructions to General McNarney. Harold Mack,45 who is now in London, will come here to accompany the Marshal. [Page 76] Meanwhile, the Political Adviser to AFHQ46 tells me the Marshal is disposed to reply negatively to the suggestion of the Chiefs of Staff.
General McNarney is away now but is expected back tonight and will undoubtedly talk this over with Alexander.
General Flory has tentatively drawn up a list of the United States Element of the mission. It totals 11 officers and 12 enlisted men, and includes 2 air representatives, Dr. Johnson of Research and Analysis in OSS,47 chief planner Colonel McCaffrey, 2 engineer officers, 1 public utilities expert, 1 public health officer, interpreters, drivers, Signal Corps men, and 3 jeeps with trailers.
In No. 322 of April 5, 8 p.m., [April 12, 2 p.m.]48 the Department outlined the acceptable conditions for an allocation of zones of greater Vienna, including the Innere Stadt. Since then I have received Winant’s 3865 of April 15, to the Department, repeated to me as No. 85. This indicates to me that the way has been opened for a compromise for something less than a division of greater Vienna. If this is true, should not the Department have the Joint Chiefs of Staff review the basic United States requirements set forth in the Department’s telegram of April 5, 8 p.m. to London and repeated to me as Department’s 322, April 13, 9 a.m. [April 12, 2 p.m.]
- Joint Staff Mission (representatives in Washington of the British Chiefs of Staff).↩
- William Henry Bradshaw Mack, Deputy Commissioner (Civil) on the Control Commission for Austria (British Element). On May 1 he was appointed Political Adviser to the Commander in Chief of the British Forces of Occupation in Austria.↩
- Alexander C. Kirk, Ambassador to Italy, served as United States Political Adviser to the Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean Theater. Allied Force Headquarters (AFHQ) was the designation for the Supreme Allied Commander’s headquarters.↩
- Office of Strategic Services.↩
- In this telegram to Caserta, the Department repeated the contents of its telegram 2658, April 5, 8 p.m. to London, p. 45.↩