740.00119 E.A.C./5–145: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kennan) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 1—6:45 p.m.]
1431. The British Chargé having received similar instructions, I am addressing a letter to Vyshinski today along the lines of the Department’s 981, April 30, 9 p.m., concerning Russian failure to consult us with respect to the Provisional Government in Austria and our desire that our representative should proceed at once to Vienna.
The Department’s telegram under reference does not indicate whether the Department had received my 1413, April 29, 6 p.m. concerning the Soviet decision not to admit our representatives to Vienna until EAC has completed action on zones of occupation. I have today received a note from Vyshinski reiterating this position. In this note Vyshinski states that “the American, British and French officers” may come to Vienna to participate in the work of “the provisional control mechanism” when EAC shall have determined the distribution of the zones of occupation “of Austria and Vienna”. He then repeats the reference contained in his note of April 25 (ReEmbs 1348, April 25, 7 p.m.) to the urgency of a decision in this question. He adds that corresponding instructions have been given to Marshal Tolbukhin. I take it that this last means that the Marshal has been directed to make arrangements to admit our representatives as soon as EAC has reached its agreement.
[Page 109]In view of the uncertainty as to whether the Department had seen my 1413, April 29, 6 p.m. at the time when it drafted its instruction under reference, I am stating to Vyshinski in my letter that while I have not had a specific reaction from my Government to the communication made to me orally on April 29 and repeated in his note received today, the instructions which I have received to date indicate that my Government still considers it necessary that the Allied representatives should proceed at once to Vienna.
Sent Department as 1431, repeated to Caserta for Erhardt as 79; London for EAC as 187; and Paris as 89.