Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Austrian State Treaty; Summit and Foreign Ministers Meetings, 1955, Volume V

57. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Delegation at the North Atlantic Council Ministerial Meeting, at Paris¹

Moscow, May 8, 1955—10 p.m.

390. For Secretary. The British Ambassador and French Chargé received today messages from Macmillan and Pinay corresponding to that in your message Polto 7, May 7,² but with instructions to see Molotov. French Chargé and I met with British Ambassador at latter’s request at Bolshoi Theater tonight few minutes before ceremony commemorating VE Day and Hayter stated that he had asked to see Molotov, who was expected at ceremony, during intermission or first thing tomorrow morning. I told Hayter I did not disassociate myself from his proposed démarche as matter of schedules for Austrian treaty meeting was agreed between yourself and Messrs. Macmillan and Pinay, but that I had no operating instructions.

During first intermission Hayter got word that Molotov would see him, and they met for perhaps ten minutes. Hayter then reported to French Chargé and me as follows:

Hayter put problem of schedules of respective Secretaries to Molotov. He asked Molotov whether meeting at Vienna at end of week could be arranged. Molotov said it would be difficult for him to agree to a date prior to the 15th, and suggested the 15th and 16th. Hayter reminded Molotov that your schedule and Macmillan’s would make it difficult to meet beyond the 15th. Molotov then suggested that perhaps one day, the 15th, would suffice. Hayter then asked again whether a day or two earlier would be convenient to Molotov, and Molotov said he could not answer at this moment.³

(I might say as a side light that Hayter’s request to see Molotov was apparently the subject of consultation between members of Presidium on stage in view of the audience. A paper was handed at the end of the line by a messenger during principal address by Marshal Konev and passed to Molotov, and the message was read in turn by Bulganin, Khrushchev, Voroshilov, Mikoyan, and Saburov, and then they all got into as close a huddle as their positions behind the front table permitted.)

Walmsley

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–VI/5–855. Secret; Niact. Repeated to Washington, London, and Vienna. The source text is the copy sent to Washington.
2. Same as Secto 1, Document 54.
3. On May 10, the Embassy in Moscow reported that Molotov replied affirmatively for both May 14 and 15. (Telegram 1997 from Moscow; Department of State, Central Files, 396.1–VI/5–1055)