860C.00/5–245

Memorandum of a Meeting Held at San Francisco, May 1945, 11 a.m.16

[Extract]17
Present: The Secretary of State Ambassador Gromyko19
Mr. Eden Mr. Sobolev
Mr. Molotov Mr. Pavlov20
Mr. Dunn Mr. Podtserob21
Ambassador Harriman Mr. Llewellyn E. Thompson22
Sir A. Cadogan18

. . . . . . .

The Secretary said the third problem was that of the Provisional Austrian Government which had been set up without consultation with the British and American Governments.

Mr. Molotov said that these Governments had been informed.

Mr. Eden agreed that we had been informed, but said that there had been no consultations.

Mr. Molotov inquired if there were any objection to this Government. He said that they had not informed Renner that his Government was permanent.

Mr. Eden said we had asked the Soviet Government not to proceed with the setting up of this Government but to allow consultation.

Mr. Molotov asked how the situation could be improved.

Mr. Eden said we desire our people to proceed to Vienna.

Mr. Molotov replied that this could be arranged.

The Secretary said that the matter had been before the EAC, but the Soviet Government had proceeded unilaterally.

Mr. Molotov said that Vienna had been captured quickly and that it had been necessary to set up an administration.

Mr. Eden said he wished to speak quite frankly on the matter. The Russian position is that our people can not go to Vienna until the EAC [Page 113] has agreed upon zones of occupation. We think that is not right and that they should proceed at once.

Mr. Molotov said he would inform Moscow and he felt that no obstacles would be raised.

  1. This was one of a series of meetings held at the Fairmont Hotel between the Secretary of State, the British Foreign Secretary, and the Soviet Foreign Commissar and their advisers, during the United Nations Conference on International Organization, held at San Francisco, April 25–June 26, 1945. For documentation regarding this Conference, see vol. i, pp. 1 ff
  2. For another portion of this memorandum, dealing with Poland, see vol. v, p. 272
  3. Andrey Andreyevich Gromyko, Soviet Ambassador in the United States
  4. Vladimir Nikolayevich Pavlov, translator and interpreter in the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union and secretary to Foreign Commissar Molotov
  5. Boris Fedorovich Podtserob, secretary and translator for Foreign Commissar Molotov
  6. Political and Liaison Officer to the United States Delegation at the San Francisco Conference
  7. Sir Alexander M. G. Cadogan, Permanent Under Secretary of State in the British Foreign Office