Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Germany and Austria, Volume VII, Part 2

663.001/4–1753: Telegram

No. 860
The United States High Commissioner for Austria (Thompson) to the Department of State¹

secret

Vienna, April 17, 1953—7 p.m.

2975. At meeting with Western High Commissioners today Gruber outlined Austrian position regarding state treaty as follows: (1) Western powers should take initiative as soon as possible. (2) Objective should be to get Soviets to conference table to discuss substantive issues. (3) Austria position regarding long draft unchanged by views expressed Department telegram 2978, April 11.²

I forcefully urged Department’s position regarding short treaty both on basis of principle involved and of tactics in dealing with Russians. While clear that Gruber, British and French convinced that it should if necessary to inaugurate negotiations be withdrawn they agreed might be best do so only under pressure at meeting and under formula that action taken “under expectation” that Soviets would not raise extraneous issues and would proceed promptly to conclusion of treaty.

Consensus was that President’s statement³ had partially achieved objective note proposed in reference telegram and that better approach might be merely calling of Deputies meeting by Secretary General.

Gruber privately handed me copy of memorandum⁴ regarding Austrian position which will be formally submitted Washington. Text by pouch. In brief it argues that Austria could maintain political and economic integrity even under draft if necessary. It has not yet been given to British or French.

Gruber expressed gratitude for President’s speech and your earlier reference Austrian question.⁵

Thompson

1. Repeated to London, Paris, and Moscow.
2. Not printed, but see footnote 2, supra.
3. Reference to President Eisenhower’s “Chance for Peace” speech which he delivered before the American Society of Newspaper Editors on Apr. 16. For text of this speech, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953, pp. 179–188, or Department of State Bulletin, Apr. 27, 1953, pp. 599–603.
4. This memorandum was transmitted to the Department of State in despatch 1773 from Vienna, Apr. 17. (663.001/4–1753) A similar memorandum was delivered to the Department of State by Austrian Ambassador Loewenthal on Apr. 22. A copy of this memorandum and the memorandum of conversation with Loewenthal attached to it is in Department of State file 663.001/4–2253.
5. Presumably a reference to a press statement by Secretary Dulles on Apr. 3 in which he commented that the question of the Austrian Treaty should become a matter of accommodation with the Soviets if they were willing to negotiate.