840.50 UNRRA/2–446: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States Political Adviser for Austria (Erhardt)
urgent
119. UNRRA Washington instructing Parminter,42 Vienna, to take up immediately with Allied Council arrangements for assumption UNRRA responsibility. Substance of this cable being dispatched to Clark for his information thru military channels with appropriate comments agreed by State and War Departments.
UNRRA proposes to assume responsibility for loading supplies March 1 and for distribution in Austria April 1, such program to be in lieu of further military distribution. We expect British to press for UNRRA distribution responsibility commencing March 1 with UNRRA assuming financial responsibility and taking over existing military stocks and pipe line as of that date. We have no objection to March 1 date if UNRRA can in fact work out distribution arrangements satisfactory to it and sign agreement with Austrian Govt prior to that time, reur 161, February 4. We believe objective of UNRRA and of members of Central Committee which will approve UNRRA operating program for Austria is to develop program on comparable basis with those in other European countries. We are satisfied that items for agricultural and industrial rehabilitation, clothing and textiles are reasonably adequate but are concerned with food item in budget. We assume UNRRA’s representatives in Vienna are familiar with its bases of calculation, and would appreciate urgently any comments or additional information which will have a bearing on this point when budget for Austrian program is considered by Central Committee probably February 13 or 14. Do not anticipate difficulty in raising proposed amount if we can show UNRRA’s assumptions or calculations are erroneous.
The critically short supplies of cereals, fats and some other foods probably will result in inadequate allocations over next several months whether UNRRA or military are responsible for supplies.
- Brig. R. H. R. Parminter, Chief of UNRRA Mission, Austria.↩