740.00119 Control (Austria)/2–1246: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom ( Winant )

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1453. You are requested to present following note to FonOff:

“In accordance with the objectives stated in the Moscow Declaration of 1943 and Article 14 of the Agreement on Control Machinery concluded [Page 306] in the European Advisory Commission in 1945, the US Govt proposes that the four powers now in occupation of Austria proceed to the negotiation of an agreement with the Austrian Govt transferring supreme authority from the Allied Council to the Austrian Govt and reestablishing Austria as a free and independent state. The US Govt suggests that the proposed treaty not only complete the reestablishment of Austria’s independence but also provide appropriate measures and guarantees for the maintenance of that independence and for assistance in the future to the Austrian people in upholding the continued and unhampered existence of a democratic govt, and democratic civil rights. The US Govt also considers that the proposed treaty should assist the Austrian people in the creation of a stable economy in order that the independent Austrian state may achieve both the political and economic security envisaged in the Moscow Declaration.

“The US Govt considers that the conclusion of an agreement is appropriate at this time in view of the recognition of the Austrian Govt freely chosen in the elections of Nov 25, 1945 and the achievements of the Allied Council in carrying out the Allied objectives concerning the separation of Austria from Germany, the destruction of the German war potentials found in Austria, and the eradication of Nazi influences and institutions.

“The US Govt has therefore instructed its deputy43 on the Council of Foreign Ministers in London to propose that a draft agreement between the four powers represented on the Allied Council and the Austrian Govt be formulated for the Council of Foreign Ministers with a view to the presentation of an agreed draft to the conference in Paris in May, 1946. A proposed draft agreement will be forwarded to the US deputy for presentation and discussion.

“The fulfillment of the four-power objective of reestablishment of an independent and democratic Austria is of basic importance in the reconstruction of peace and security in Europe. The US Govt therefore hopes that appropriate instructions may be transmitted by the Brit Govt to its deputy on the Council of Foreign Ministers to discuss the conclusion of a treaty fulfilling the four-power commitments to the Austrian people.”

Sent to London as 1453; repeated mutatis mutandis to Paris as 709 and Moscow as 277, and repeated to Vienna as 134.44

Byrnes
  1. James Clement Dunn.
  2. In telegram 2724 of March 7, from London, the Chargé reported that in a note of March 4 the Foreign Office had replied that “We share the desire of the US Govt to conclude an early treaty with Austria and we agree that this is a suitable subject for the CFM. We shall be happy to study draft which US Govt will present and to join in discussions at Lancaster House. The necessary instructions will be issued to UK deputy.” (740.00119 Control (Austria)/3–746)

    On March 5, Ambassador Caffery transmitted in telegram 1067 from Paris the text of a French note of February 14, which, while agreeing in principle with the Department’s point of view, stressed “that the transfer to the Austrian Government of the supreme authority held by the Allied Council could take place only after the elimination of all Nazi influence and institutions in Austria, and that, at the present stage, while waiting for this condition to be fulfilled, certain problems still require the intervention of the Allied Council. (740.00119–Control (Austria)/3–546)

    In telegram 457 of February 16 (740.00119 Control (Austria)/2–1646), the Chargé in Moscow reported that he had transmitted the proposal to Dekanozov on February 15. There was, apparently, no reply from the Soviet Government.