863.00/4–1246
Memorandum by the Representative of the Austrian Federal Government in the United States (Kleinwaechter)85
The development of the situation in Austria is viewed by the Austrian Government with growing alarm. No political disturbances of a greater extent may be expected as long as the present favourable [Page 329] season lasts. Should it, however, not be possible to bring about a considerable amelioration in Austria before next fall and a stiffer support by the Western Powers in all of Austria’s vital questions, the possibility of violent innerpolitical conflicts is to be taken into account.
The time from January to April 1946 has been completely taken up by staving off Russian demands of a financial nature, or such as the requisitioning of land or going even so far as confiscating industrial products such as f.e. 50 carloads of screws a.s.o., a.s.o. [and so on] To add to these difficulties and to make bad conditions still worse, the Allied Commission in its meeting of March 25, 1946, has decided to direct the Government to have the Austrian Constitution repealed. The Austrian Government has made it clear that it refuses most strongly to comply with such a request and that it cannot take into consideration changing this truly democratic constitution approved by all parties. Still further aggravated are conditions by certain measures in the Soviet Zone. In the plants requisitioned by the Soviet forces higher wages are paid and workers are being supplied with considerably higher food-rations. This can of course not be duplicated in the plants managed by their Austrian owners. Consequently the workers of the less favored plants are growing restless and the Government receives in ever growing numbers resolutions passed by them demanding nationalization, higher food-rations, better wages a.s.o. of a more and more peremptory nature.
Should it not be possible to bring about generally felt improvements of the present situation it seems unavoidable that this or any other Austrian Government could but abide to some of the Russian demands giving up at least part of its position, trying to find some modus vivendi in order to save the mere existence of Austria’s population in the hard years still to come.
The Potsdam Protocol and the stand taken by the Western Powers in regard to the question of South Tyrol, the addition of which with its population adverse to all experiments of an economic or political character would undoubtedly strengthen possible resistance to an encroachment upon our Country, is taken in Austria as proving the lack of a sufficiently strong interest in Austria’s full rehabilitation and liberty by the Western Powers.
- Apparently this memorandum was left with the Department by Mr. Kleinwaechter on April 19, when he called to discuss the Austrian situation.↩