Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The British Commonwealth, Western and Central Europe, Volume V

863.52/2–1646: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the United States Political Adviser for Austria (Erhardt)

secret
us urgent
niact

Washington, March 4, 1946—6 p.m.

201. Urtels 228 Feb. 16, 257 Feb. 20, 258 Feb. 20.⁶⁰ You are requested to bring following to attention Gen Clark for presentation to AC at earliest possible opportunity:

Soviet request for 27,000 hectares Austrian land is viewed by US as seriously endangering whole process of four-power cooperation in Austria. US regards Soviet action as contrary to agreed procedure of operating through AC on all questions affecting Austria as a whole. Withdrawal of large percentage of arable land from production of food stuffs for indigenous consumption is clearly a matter which should be discussed in AC and undertaken only after consent of other powers is obtained.

US regards Soviet action as a requisition on Austrian food supply. You may remind Soviets that they had declared (urtel 561 Dec. 12⁶¹) that no Austrian food or essential supplies are being requisitioned for use by their armed forces. US considers that such practices endanger fulfillment of Allied agreed objectives to liberate Austria and to secure establishment of economic security for the Austrian people.

US has now proposed that UNRRA program supplant present supply program, giving Austria level of food consumption comparable to that of other liberated areas of Eastern Europe. This proposal will involve pooling of resources and the establishment of an equitable level of consumption throughout Austria as a whole. Proposal is desirable not only from point of view of providing uniform and adequate Austrian relief but also in terms of Allied agreed objectives to secure Austrian independence and treat Austria as an economic unit. US has also proposed as part of same objective that occupation forces in Austria be reduced substantially.

Under these circumstances US, as chief contributing state to UNRRA, can not agree to an UNRRA program throughout Austria as proposed, together with pooling of resources and termination of present program, if arable land is removed from production of indigenous food supply for exclusive use by Red Army, or if Red Army local Commanders persist in forcing rent contracts on local farmers. In view of discussions in Congress when additional funds were voted for UNRRA⁶² it is clear that US public opinion will not tolerate fact that large percentage of arable land was used exclusively for production for Red Army at same time that UNRRA operations are begun and a decrease is made necessary in relief supplies to Austria due to world food situation. US considers that Soviet action violates principles clearly enunciated in resolutions of UNRRA Council providing for equitable distribution of available food supplies and the furnishing of full information to Director of UNRRA concerning any change in system of local distribution.⁶³

Unless assurances are immediately forthcoming that Soviet authorities will make substantial reduction in their occupation forces in order to relieve pressing financial burden which maintenance of these forces has placed on Austrian Govt and that no land will be withdrawn from Austrian production for exclusive use by Red Army except by quadripartite agreement in AC, US will take following steps:

1. Instructions will be given to US member of UNRRA Central Committee to oppose agreement on proposed program throughout Austria now under consideration on grounds that Soviet action is in violation of provisions of UNRRA charter and resolution involving equitable distribution of relief goods.

2. An approach will be made immediately to Govts of Brit and France proposing that supply arrangements be maintained, with pooling of resources and equalization of consumption standards in three Western zones, or that an alternative program be instituted on a tripartite basis, until such time that UNRRA program can be inaugurated in Austria as a whole.

3. To make it clear in UNRRA Council and to Austrian Govt and people, as well as in US, that UNRRA relief throughout Austria has been made impossible by Soviet action and that in addition to maintaining a military force in Austria far in excess of military or administrative requirements, cost of which is borne by Austrian Govt, Soviet action in withdrawing arable land will place a further burden for maintenance of Soviet occupation army on inhabitants of Soviet zone in Vienna and Soviet zone in Austria. US will make it plain that this added burden will fall solely on inhabitants of Soviet occupied areas and will seriously endanger fulfillment of agreed Allied objectives in Austria.

US considers that AC was set up by international agreement to discuss questions of this kind and that all proposals affecting Austria as a whole fall under its exercise of supreme authority in Austria.

You may furthermore wish to inform Marshal Koniev that the UNRRA Central Committee will meet on March 4 and will consider the Austrian program during week.

Sent to Vienna as 201; repeated to Moscow as 371; to London as 1963; and to Paris as 996.

Byrnes

60. None printed. In telegram 228 of February 16, Mr. Erhardt reported that the Russians had requested that 25,000–27,000 hectares of land in Lower Austria be assigned to them to supply Soviet Army personnel with milk products, meat, potatoes, and fresh vegetables. In addition, the Russians had asked that large areas of land be rented to them. (863.52/2–1646) In telegram 257 of February 20, Erhardt reported that Austrian Foreign Minister Karl Gruber had discussed with Kiselev (Soviet diplomatic representative in Austria) the Austrian treaty and found the latter’s attitude completely negative (740.0119 Control (Austria)/2–2046). Telegram 258, February 20, informed the Department that Austrian officials were apprehensive lest Soviet take-over of large areas should seriously affect Austrian food production program (863.52/2–1646).
61. Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. iii, p. 681.
62. See Congressional Record, vol. 91, pt. 9, pp. 11487–11517 and 12151–12165.
63. For details regarding the equitable distribution of food supplies, see George Woodbridge, UNRRA, The History of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (New York, 1950), vol. i, pp. 360–361.