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

663.001/5–453: Telegram

No. 865
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom¹

secret
priority

Washington, May 4, 1953—6:42 p.m.

7185. After full consideration following President’s speech April 16 U.S. Government wishes proceed urgently with Austrian treaty question as primary test Soviet peace overtures in Europe. US position is:

1. Invitation for meeting Treaty Deputies should be issued soon as agreement on substance and tactics outlined herein is reached. No conditions should be attached to invitation.

2. If Soviets refuse attend Deputies’ meeting prior withdrawal short draft, West will withdraw it. Similarly if Soviets attend meeting but refuse to negotiate until short draft withdrawn, West will at that point withdraw it. In either case we should make it clear that while we considered short draft a reasonable and fair solution we were withdrawing it in hope furthering sincere negotiations which would end in conclusion of treaty.²

3. Determined effort should be made eliminate undesirable features long draft treaty with particular reference Article 35. It remains U.S. desire obtain settlement German assets question more favorable Austria than Article 35 long draft both because of subversive possibility Article 35 and economic burdens it places on Austria. Copies memo setting forth provisions long draft unfavorable US interests being airpouched interested offices.³

4. If all efforts reach settlement along lines para 3 fail and negotiations reach stalemate, Deputies should report back to their Governments and, in light of world situation obtaining at that time and of negotiation developments, new tripartite position would be determined.

5. London, Paris, Vienna requested seek concurrence Foreign Offices foregoing program and repeat answers London for coordination there.

6. If agreement reached above points it suggested West Deputies meet London following announcement meeting with view reaching tripartite agreement on details tactics to be followed at meeting. Since we would wish make statement here re meeting suggest announcement be made simultaneously interested capitals and timing be determined tripartitely London. Department hopes agreement can be reached on paras 1 through 4 above to permit issuance invitations by May 7 and meeting approximately two weeks later.

We appreciate that difference of opinion exists on some of these points but we hope that need for early action will induce our allies to accept. Probably greatest difficulty will be in connection with considerations set forth in para 3 above and you should make it clear that we will insist on real effort improve long draft. We consider that in agreeing to withdrawal short draft we are making real sacrifice which warrants our expecting others particularly Austrians to go along with our other proposals.⁴

Dulles

1. Drafted by Collins, E.P. Allen, and Rutter, and cleared with Bonbright, Knight, Barbour, Henry Allen, Merchant, Matthews, and Smith. Repeated for action to Paris and Vienna and for information to Moscow.
2. In a memorandum from Bonbright to Knight and Collins, dated May 4, it was noted that in a meeting with Dulles that afternoon the Secretary of State had expressed concern over paragraph 3 of the draft of this telegram which reads as follows: “If Soviets attend meeting without demanding withdrawal short draft we should start negotiations on long draft.” Bonbright stated that Dulles recognized that this was a remote possibility but he did not want the United States to be in a position of withdrawing the short draft unless forced to do so. Bonbright and General Smith agreed after the meeting to drop this paragraph from the telegram while at the same time informing the U.S. negotiators that the above point should be borne in mind. (Secretary’s Letters, lot 56 D 459, “A”) Paragraph 3 was subsequently deleted as agreed and the following paragraphs renumbered.
3. Regarding this memorandum, see footnote 1, supra.
4. In a Department of State press release of May 11, it was announced that the Secretary General of the Austrian Treaty Deputies had called for a meeting to be held in London on May 27. It was also noted that Walter C. Dowling was designated as the U.S. Deputy for Austria. For text of this press release, see Department of State Bulletin, May 25, 1953, p. 751.