740.00119 Council/5–1148: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the United States Deputy for Austria at the Council of Foreign Ministers ( Reber ), at London

secret   us urgent

1753. Ausdel 24. For Reber. Although no concessions can be considered on issues of frontier revisions and reparations, we wish to avoid closing door on future treaty discussions (Delsec 1730, May 111) and desire to be in position to resume negotiations should developing circumstances make early conclusion treaty advisable. Under latter conditions it might be desirable to make it possible for Soviets to yield to our position on Articles 5 and 342 with minimum loss of face. Suggest that on this basis negotiations could be suspended for one week so that Soviets will have time to obtain Moscow instructions. If at expiration this period Soviets fail to make any proposals along lines Delsec 17243 you might consult with British and French whether adjournment of Deputies should be for a definite period such as four months, or whether at end of four months following adjournment the four governments would communicate with each other on subject whether negotiations should be resumed. Dept would prefer latter alternative.

You might also discuss with Brit and Fr question whether proposals should be made in Deputies before adjournment to take up in Allied Commission or through Ministers in Vienna certain treaty problems such as remaining unagreed military and air clauses and Article 35, with view to obtaining agreement on those articles before any future meeting of the Deputies.

Re your last question, please see Vienna’s 1494 to you.

Sent London as 1753, Ausdel 24: repeated to Vienna as 439 for Keyes.

Marshall
  1. Not printed.
  2. Article 5–Frontiers, Article 34–Reparations; for the text of these two Articles see the Unagreed Articles of the Draft Austrian Treaty, p. 1514.
  3. Supra.
  4. Not printed. In Delsec 1730, May 11, not printed, Reber had asked whether the adjournment of the Austrian treaty negotiations would affect the talks between the United States and the Soviet Union which had been reported in the press on May 11 (740.00119 Council/5–1148). Vienna’s 149 indicated that Soviet refusal to make concessions on the frontier question would demonstrate the emptiness of any conciliatory gesture in talks with the United States (711.61/5–1248).