740.00119 Control (Austria)/4–2145
The Counselor of the British Embassy (Makins) to the Director of the Office of European Affairs
(Matthews)
Washington, April 21,
1945.
My Dear Doc: With reference to our
conversation on April 19th about Austria, we have now heard from London
that the Prime Minister has decided, in the circumstances, not to send a
message himself to Stalin on this subject. Instead, instructions have
been sent to His
[Page 82]
Majesty’s
Chargé d’Affaires in Moscow to approach the Soviet Government through
normal channels.
2. I enclose a paraphrase of the instructions which have been issued to
Mr. Frank Roberts.60
Yours ever,
[Enclosure]
Paraphrase of Instructions sent to His
Majesty’s Chargé d’affaires in Moscow on April 21st
His Majesty’s Government have learned with pleasure of the statement
made by Marshal Stalin to Mr. Harriman that, now that Vienna had
been captured, it was urgently necessary to settle the respective
zones in Vienna, and of the proposal that United States, British and
French Governments should send their officers at once to Vienna to
work out the necessary arrangements on the spot.
- 2.
- His Majesty’s Government gladly accepts this proposal and
welcomes the statement issued by the Soviet Government on April
8th affirming that the Soviet Government stands firmly by the
Allied declaration issued at Moscow in 1943.
- 3.
- Besides working out in Vienna the division of the Vienna zones
and airfields, it is urgent that the four powers should arrive
at an agreed policy in regard to the establishment of interim
control machinery for Austria and that the representatives on
European Advisory Commission should be instructed to settle this
latter question without delay.
- 4.
- There are other important political and economic questions
which will arise in Austria. His Majesty’s Government are sure
that the Soviet Government will agree that our common purpose
might well be prejudiced by unilateral action on the part of any
one of the occupying powers in regard to the removal of
industrial plant and equipment regardless of whether or not this
was German owned, or the elimination without regard to their
attitude towards the Nazis, of Austrians who might be useful in
re-establishing Austrian administration and economy. His
Majesty’s Government propose therefore that representatives to
be sent to Vienna should be empowered to deal with such
questions and that the Soviet Commanders on the spot should
meanwhile be instructed to hold their hand. His Majesty’s
Government would also urge the importance of taking all possible
steps to maintain Austrian agriculture in full
production.
