663.001/9–2151
Memorandum of Conversation, by Peter Rutter of the Office of Western European Affairs
Subject: U.S. Proposal of Abbreviated Treaty to Austria
| Participants: | Dr. Kleinwaechter, Austrian Minister |
| Mr. Williamson, WE | |
| Mr. Rutter, WE |
Mr. Williamson outlined the U.S. proposal for reopening the negotiations for the Austrian Treaty and emphasized that the proposal for an abbreviated Austrian treaty had not yet received tripartite approval.
Dr. Kleinwaechter was informed that the new U.S. approach was to obtain agreement for an abbreviated treaty. Mr. Donnelly had been instructed to inform Dr. Gruber of this proposal. Articles 1 to 5 and 7–8 of the abbreviated treaty consist of agreed articles drawn from the present draft treaty. Article 6, which was quoted verbatim, takes the place of the agreed Article 35 on the German assets settlement. The U.S. plans to seek agreement of the French, British and Austrians to this text and to the manner in which it should be proposed to the Soviets.
The U.S. plan called for a meeting of the Treaty Deputies in the near future. The Department was now engaged in determining tactics which should be used at this meeting. In answer to Dr. Kleinwaechter’s question if the abbreviated treaty would be brought up at this meeting, Mr. Williamson answered that the choice of method to be used in transmitting the proposal had not yet been decided. Mr. Williamson said that he wished to make clear that certain articles of the draft treaty which had been omitted from the abbreviated treaty remained U.S. policy and separate provision would have to be made for them, possibly by bilateral agreement. When Dr. Kleinwaechter expressed some concern at the prospect of bilateral Austrian negotiation with the Soviets Mr. Williamson replied that this would have been necessary even under the present draft Treaty.
The Department did not favor taking the Austrian case to the UN on the basis of the draft treaty because the unagreed articles could be endlessly argued. This step might be taken, however, with the abbreviated treaty where the issues were clearly drawn. Dr. Kleinwaechter pointed out that apparently Dr. Gruber in a recent speech had stressed strongly the usefulness of discussing Austria in [Page 1137] the UN. He expressed the hope that, in the event of Soviet rejection of the abbreviated treaty, other means might be found of lightening the burden of the Austrian occupation, possibly by revision of the Control Agreement. Mr. Williamson stated the urgent need for keeping all information about the abbreviated treaty from the Soviets until the text can be submitted through proper channels.