863.00/3–2949: Telegram

The Chargé in Austria (Yost) to the Secretary of State

secret

325. Liberation Front of Slovene Carinthia has applied Allied Council for recognition as political party. This organization is pro-Tito Communist and favors annexation disputed area to Yugoslavia.

US policy is not to recognize additional parties before coming election, but we have not stated policy in these broad terms in AC and it would be preferable not to do so. All new parties have so far been refused either as Nazi dominated or as lacking sufficient support to justify recognition. Difficult to adopt attitude Liberation Front lacks support, since it admittedly has about 3,000 members. New grounds must therefore be advanced.

There would be some advantage in recognizing party in order to forestall Yugoslav claims Slovene minority is being persecuted and denied political rights. Austrians would, however, deeply resent approval Slovene party when all new Austrian parties are being disapproved, and this course is therefore not recommended.

Best attitude would seem to be following: to maintain that since whole problem of Slovene rights and Yugoslav claims is currently being debated by deputies in London1 it would be improper for AC to take action at this time which might complicate their work and application of Slovene Liberation Fronts should therefore be denied pending agreement on article 5 of treaty. We proposed to adopt this attitude in AC but wish first to make certain Department and USDel see no objection from point of view treaty negotitions. We believe French and British will also be willing to follow this line.2

Sent London 97, (for USDel), repeated Department 325.

Yost
  1. The reference here is to the discussions of the Deputies for Austria of the Council of Foreign Ministers which were in progress at London. For documentation on these discussions, see pp. 1066 ff.
  2. Telegram 304, April 4, to Vienna, not printed, concurred in these recommendations, stating that rejection might be based on insufficient local support and premature pending decision on Slovene question at London (740.00119 Control (Austria)/4–449).