740.0011EW (Peace)/10–2649: Telegram

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

top secret

Audel 200.1 For Reber. Fol are instrs for negots on Aust Treaty: You shld endeavor to seek agreement on remaining unresolved issues of Treaty at early time on best terms obtainable. This objective requires every effort be made with Brit and Fr cooperation to reduce Sov demands particularly those considered in excess of agreement in principle reached in Paris CFM2 or which affect Austs future status of independence or economic security.

Remaining unagreed issues are listed below in relative order of importance, the least important being listed first:

1.
Art 48
2.
Art 16
3.
Art 35, Para 12
4.
Art 35, List 3, refineries
5.
Art 35, List 3, pipelines
6.
Art 35 bis
7.
Art 48 bis
8.
Art 35, List 5, DDSG leases
9.
Art 35, Para 10, proposal for third arbiter
10.
Art 35, List 2, oil exploration areas
11.
Art 42
12.
Art 27
[Page 1186]

Tripartite tactics shld be devised with respect to these issues to obtain maximum concessions from Sovs and maximum acceptance of Western position as defined in recent tripartite ministerial mtgs. It is realized modifications will be required in previous US position on specific issues in order to obtain general advantages to be derived from conclusion of Treaty. In event Sov refusal to accept compromise solution, the present situation would be reversed and onus would be squarely on Sovs for holding up Treaty on details after demonstration Western willingness to conclude Treaty.

Purpose shld be to save points 11 and 12 above and obtain any possible modification of Sov points 7, 8, 9, or 10 by sacrifice of earlier points if necessary. In our view this might be accomplished by one or more offers of a package settlement in which West offered to grant or drop certain points in return for reciprocal concessions on part of Sovs. Various combinations are possible, on which your recommendations wld be appreciated. Any such combination settlement proposed to Soviets shld be made on ad referendum basis. Subsequent negots wld be directed toward modifications or concessions on specific points within framework of proposed combinations. It is estimated that approximately three weeks will be required for these negotiations.

Agreement on following points of procedure after conclusion of negots on unagreed articles will also be required:

1.
Agreement on records of decisions particularly those which involve clarification of text.
2.
Clarification by Deputies of any major outstanding drafting points of agreed articles prior to reference to drafting committee. You shld submit recommendations on the points which may be involved.
3.
Formulation of report transmitting agreed text of Treaty to Ministers for approval. It is possible that Ministers may suggest changes through diplomatic channels after submission of agreed text.
4.
Designation of a four-power drafting committee of legal experts to prepare final text for signature.
Acheson
  1. Repeated to Vienna as 1323, London as 3854, Paris as 4086, and Moscow as 789.
  2. The reference here is to the communiqué of June 20, p. 1062.