Vienna Legation Files: Lot 54F57: Box 565
Memorandum by the Counselor of Legation in Austria (Yost) to the Minister in Austria (Erhardt)
As far as I can ascertain the preliminary plans for organizing an Austrian defense force seem to have bogged down rather completely. Those plans fall into three phases.
- 1.
- The first is the program for training of Austrian police and [Page 1375] gendarmerie in the use of American arms. This seems to be proceeding satisfactorily and the arms are stockpiled for issue to the Austrians in case of emergency. This, however, is the smallest part of the program and would suffice only to deal with minor riots and demonstrations.
- 2.
- The second phase is the plan to develop a cadre for a future Austrian army within the gendarmerie by providing with modern equipment and training a full gendarmerie regiment in each of the Western Zones. This plan had been approved by each of the three Western governments and was about to be presented to the Austrians when it was discovered that the equipment therefor, which had been supposed the British had available, is not in fact available for this purpose. Washington has stated categorically that the equipment does not exist in the U.S. This phase of the plan is therefore wholly in abeyance.
- 3.
- The third phase, Austrian planning for their future army under an inter-party committee headed by Scharf, Deutsch, Graf and Raab, also seems to have broken down because of disputes between the two parties as to the character of the army to be set up.
Unless something can be done to break the impasse existing in the two latter phases of the program, we may see treaty negotiations resumed and substantial progress made thereon without one of the indispensable prerequisites to an Austrian treaty being provided. I would suggest that we should consult USFA on this matter and if they approve take the following two steps:
- 1.
- Urge Washington that, if the arms for the second of the above phases are not now available, the legislation which will presumably be introduced in the forthcoming session of Congress authorizing provision of arms to the Western Union be so worded that it will also permit prompt provision of arms to Austria.
- 2.
- Make strong representations to the leaders of both Austrian parties emphasizing the necessity of their reaching agreement, before treaty negotiations are actually resumed, on plans for the organization of an Austrian army.