740.00119 E.A.C./4–2345: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 23—1:10 a.m.]
4125. For Mr. Matthews (Washington) Mr. Erhardt (Caserta). Two important factors emerged from Saturday61 night’s long meeting of the EAC on Austria. The Soviet representative stated that he had not been informed by his Government of Marshal Stalin’s invitation for US, UK and French representatives to proceed to Vienna to “establish” the zoning of Vienna on the spot. Apparently Gousev first learned of this invitation from Strang just before the meeting. A second factor is that Gousev now has somewhat more flexible instructions.
[Page 84]I have been waiting to report to you until I found out what the British position was. Strang has just informed me that his Government wishes to delay further discussions on Vienna in the Commission until there is a reply from Stalin confirming his invitation to send representatives to Vienna. Think it is important to know whether Stalin’s invitation referred only to assignment of area within the city of Vienna or whether it would include a consideration by the military representatives of the larger Vienna Gau.
Since Gousev suggested in Saturday’s discussions that Tulln airdrome, which lies outside the boundaries of greater Vienna and in the Russian zone, be substituted for Schwechat airdrome, the representatives who proceed to Vienna should also be able to inspect Tulln or any other suggested air facilities. Neither the British air authorities nor our own feel that Tulln is adequate to meet the joint needs of the three other occupying forces. The British, and I believe also the French, would accept US administrative and operational management of the airdrome assigned to joint use.
With regard to Innere Stadt, Gousev on Saturday accepted provisionally the US formula of April 10 providing for joint occupation and use (text transmitted in my 85 April 15, 11 p.m., to Caserta, repeated to Department as my 3865).
The Russian argument in asking for greater all-round facilities in Vienna is based on their use of Vienna as the administrative center of their zone.
This morning one of Gousev’s assistants, Saksin,62 gave Mosely informally a new Soviet proposal for division of the city of Vienna, drafted on the assumption of joint occupation and use of Innere Stadt. Under this new proposal the Soviet zone would consist of districts of Floridsdorf, Brigittenau, Leopoldstadt, Favoriten and Wieden; French forces would occupy Landstrasse and Simmering; US forces would occupy Döbling, Alsergrund, Währing, Hernals, Ottakring, Josef stadt, Fiinf haus and Rudolf sheim; UK forces would occupy Hietzing, Meidling, Neubau, Mariahilf and Margareten.
On Saturday I further insisted that, if the city of Vienna rather than greater Vienna was to be accepted, facilities for training and recreation should be provided for US forces outside the city itself and in the adjacent areas of the Soviet occupied zone. The British and French joined in supporting this position.
If freedom of inspection is given to the military representatives and they report to the Commission, we would be in a much better position to make final recommendations on the arrangements for Vienna, I [Page 85] should like to point out that although we appear to be close to agreement on control machinery, this agreement cannot be finally concluded as article II must refer either to “greater Vienna” or to “the city of Vienna”.
Sent to Department as 4125; repeated to Caserta as 92.