740.00119 Control (Austria)/11–1444: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in the United Kingdom (Gallman)

9838. With reference to your Comea 130, telegram no. 9972, November 14, 10 p.m.,98 this is Eacom 40 and following is text of Department’s 2453, October 17, 8 p.m., to Moscow:

[Here follows text of telegram printed on page 466.]

As you will have noted from Moscow’s 4214, November 3, 5 p.m., to the Department, repeated to London as no. 247, the Soviet Government prefers to keep planning for a tripartite control commission for Austria within EAC.

[Page 469]

Since this represents a Soviet reply to Strang’s proposal outlined in Comea 11399 and in view of the last sentence of your 9549, October [November] 3, 7 p.m., all tripartite planning for the occupation and control of Austria is thus thrown back into EAC.

Since no American proposals for control machinery for Austria have been formulated you may proceed in EAC with formulation of final EAC recommendations for control machinery for Austria on the basis of our proposals for machinery for Germany in WS–15C1 and Department’s instruction 4704 of November 2, 19442 (with appropriate modifications) and the British proposal for zoning Austria with the provisos already communicated to you, in particular the reservation that the United States will contribute only token forces, to be located in Vienna, for the actual occupation, although United States will participate fully in the tripartite central administration of Austria.

We assume that in such participation proclamations and orders with nationwide scope would be issued by the representatives of the three Governments acting jointly, and that American liaison officers would be attached to the staffs of the two zonal commanders.

We agree with your 9972, November 14, 10 p.m., Comea 130, that it would be desirable to begin early discussion in EAC of occupation and control of Austria, and consider it desirable to complete EAC recommendations regarding them as soon as possible.

This Government’s views regarding general policies for the treatment of Austria and its separation from the Reich were transmitted to you with Department’s instruction 4278 of July 8, 1944, cataloged WS–173 of July 3, and the comments of the JCS thereon with Department’s instruction 4620 of October 9, 1944.

Stettinius
  1. Not printed.
  2. See footnote 97, p. 468.
  3. Dated January 27, p. 185.
  4. Ante, p. 374.