Editorial Note
A Draft Treaty for the Reestablishment of an Independent and Democratic Austria was discussed by the Deputies for Austria of the Council of Ministers during meetings in London, January 10–February 25, 1947 and by the Council of Foreign Ministers at its Fourth Session in Moscow, March 10–April 24, 1947; for the records and reports of these meetings, see Chapters I and II. The Draft Austrian Treaty as it emerged from these discussions was contained in document CFM (47) (M) 82, March 29, 1947, and the emendations and annotations thereto, ante, page 516.
At its 43rd and final meeting in Moscow, April 24, 1947, the Council of Foreign Ministers decided to establish an Austrian Treaty Commission consisting of representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and France to examine all the points of disagreement on the Draft Austrian Treaty. The Council’s decision is set forth in Item II of the Record of Decisions of its 43rd Meeting, ante, page 386.
In pursuance of the Council decision, the Austrian Treaty Commission met in Vienna from May 12 to October 11, 1947. The principal delegates to the Commission were:
For the United States:
- Joseph M. Dodge, Representative
- David Ginsburg, Acting Representative
For the United Kingdom:
- Sir George Rendel, Representative
- W. H. Lawson, Acting Representative
- M. F. Cullis, Acting Representative
For the Soviet Union:
- Kirill Vasilyevich Novikov, Representative
- Nikolay Petrovich Koktomov, Acting Representative
For France:
- Général de Brigade P. R. P. Cherrière, Representative
- Étienne Burin des Roziers, Acting Representative
For the statement by the Department of State announcing the appointment of the United States Delegation to the Commission and explaining the hopes of the United States for the success of the Commission, see Department of State Bulletin, May 18, 1947, page 985. For a full listing of the United States Delegation and a brief review of the activities of the Commission, see Participation of the United States Government in International Conferences July 1, 1946–June 30, 1947, Department of State Publication 3031 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1948), pages 29–31.
The Austrian Treaty Commission held 85 formal meetings and considered 77 formal documents. The documentation that follows does not include reports on individual Commission meetings. The proceedings of the Commission were largely devoted to an extensive examination of the basic types of German assets in Austria and to detailed and technical discussion of the unagreed portions of the Draft Austrian Treaty. The arguments advanced by the Delegations were often quite repetitious. The first twenty-one meetings, May 12–June 18, were concerned with procedural discussions regarding the Commission’s method of work and the functions to be assigned to the Committee of Experts expected to give special study to the question of German assets in Austria. At its 22nd through 36th meetings, June 19–July 25, the Commission considered the question of Austrian oil properties. The problems of Danube shipping and Austrian financial institutions, industry, and State property were taken up by the Commission at its 36th through 51st meetings, July 25–August 25. Various questions related to Article 35 of the Draft Austrian Treaty were discussed by the Commission at its 52nd through 68th meetings, August 29–September 19, at its 78th through 81st meetings, October 2–6, and at its 83rd meeting, October 8. Other unagreed articles of the Treaty were considered by the Commission during the 69th through 84th meetings, September 22–October 9. The 85th and Final Meeting of the Commission was concerned with the approval of the Commission’s Report to the Council of Foreign Ministers, document CFM (ATC) (47)77, October 11, 1947, page 631.
The agreed Records of Decisions of the Commission’s meetings and the formal Commission documents are included in CFM Files, Lot M–88, Boxes 61 and 62. A list of the documents circulated to the Commission is included as Annex “A” to document CFM/ATC(47)77, October 11, 1947, page 660. The United States Delegation transcripts and minutes of Commission meetings are included in CFM Files, Boxes 62 and 63. The United States Delegation sent telegraphic reports to the Department of State on all Commission meetings and transactions. These telegrams are included in the Department of [Page 579] State’s files principally under file 740.0011 EW (Peace). The same Department file also includes telegraphic instruction and commentary transmitted to the Delegation in Vienna. Reports, correspondence, background and working papers, and other materials prepared or used by the Delegation are included in CFM Files, Boxes 63–68 and in the Vienna Legation Files for 1947.