863.01/5–245: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kennan) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 2—10:45 a.m.]
1432. ReEmbs 1431, May 1, 10 p.m., repeated to Caserta, London and Paris. With further reference to the Department’s 981, April 30, 9 p.m. and the communication I have made to Vyshinski pursuant thereto and particularly to the passages dealing with the establishment of the provisional government, I wish to say the following.
I assume that this communication is being made for the record and that we are not entertaining any inordinate hopes as to its effect on the Russians. The latter are accustomed to this sort of reaction and probably discount it in advance when they take action they know will be distasteful to us. It is scarcely conceivable that any such expression of views in Moscow or anything our representatives might say or do in Vienna, if and when they get there, would alone suffice to induce the Russians to withdraw support of this provisional regime, as long as they continue to find it to their liking. In this respect, I invite attention once more to my 4214, November 3, 5 p.m., 1944 repeated to Caserta as 18 and to London as 247.13
From now on our best chance of making our influence felt on the general political situation in Austria will lie, in my opinion, in the degree of energy, efficiency and singleness of purpose which we are able to develop, together with our western Allies, in the zones of Austria we may occupy, and the extent to which we are able to create creditable conditions there which will permit people to face the future with some sense of confidence and security. A Soviet-ridden provisional regime whose authority was acknowledged only in Vienna and the Russian zone of occupation could hardly be successful for long, particularly if the remainder of the country were to turn out to be more orderly and prosperous.
In these circumstances I think we will wish to consider carefully once again the precise advantages we expect to gain by sending our representatives to Vienna and clinging to the principle of a quadruple control mechanism. In this we should bear in mind that whether our representatives, once arrived in Vienna, accept passively the Russian fait accompli or complain ineffectively against it, the result will be equally unhelpful to their local prestige and to their ability to influence the further course of events.
Sent Department as 1432, repeated to Caserta for Erhardt as 80, London as 188 and Paris for Reber as 90.