663.001/11–151: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Legation in Austria 1
1144. Until tripartite agreement reached on tactics and use of abbreviated treaty Dept considers no formal reply for public consumption to Oct 31 Aust treaty note feasible (Legtel 1573 Oct 31 rptd London 94 Paris 149 Moscow 46 Frankfort 1662). You may tell this to Gruber orally and state Dept concurs with your excellent statement (Legtel 15883) which may be used in connection with WPC as expressing official US view.
Dept thinks it desirable you emphasize to Gruber importance we attach to positive approach implicit in our proposal citing arguments [Page 1168] in Deptels 837,4 944,5 1054,6 11147 and our refusal to associate ourselves with Deps mtg entirely devoted to futile effort to negot on basis draft treaty. Dept feels Gruber’s insistence on this negative approach has served to delay tripartite agreement by allowing Brit and Fr to base their objections to our proposals on Aust views. Are Figl and Schaerf fully aware of our proposals and reasons for them?
For Amer Emb Paris urtel 2586 Nov 1 rptd info London 651 Vienna 76 Frankfort 3248 in view refusal of Fr FonOff to budge from position we cannot accept we suggest no further initiative to press our position until it is known if Secy can raise matter with Schuman. In Dept view Sovs have suffered diplomatic defeats of sufficient magnitude to warrant fresh vigorous approach we propose.
- Drafted by Rutter and cleared with Williamson and Bonbright. Repeated to Paris, London, Moscow, and Frankfurt for Reber.↩
- Telegram 1573 contained the text of the Austrian note. (663.001/10–3151)↩
- Telegram 1588 transmitted the text of Donnelly’s press statement concerning the Austrian note. (663.001/10–3151)↩
- Document 563.↩
- Document 569.↩
- Document 573.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Supra.↩