Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, European Advisory Commission, Austria, Germany, Volume III

740.00119 Control (Austria)/9–2245: Telegram

The United States Political Adviser for Austrian Affairs (Erhardt) to the Acting Secretary of State

Vienna, September 22, 1945—5 p.m.
[Received September 22—3:12 p.m.]

243. ReDepts 487 to Berlin September 17.⁹ An order has been issued by General Clark rescinding all existing regulations re non-fraternization with Austrian population.¹⁰ However, no fraternization is permitted with any Nazi or Fascist elements remaining.

Sent to Dept. repeated to Murphy USPolAd Berlin as 6 from Erhardt.

Erhardt

9. Not printed; this telegram informed the Political Adviser in Berlin that the non-fraternization ban could not be relaxed in Germany until after it had been relaxed in Austria. War Department policy was that the relaxation of non-fraternization policies should proceed more rapidly in Austria than in Germany. (740.00119 Control (Germany)/9–1145)
10. The Department had recommended a relaxation of the ban on non-fraternization in Austria some time before. In a letter to Gen. J. H. Hilldring, June 20, 1945, Mr. H. Freeman Matthews, Director of the Office of European Affairs wrote: “This letter is to record the fact that, from the political point of view, the Department of State considers the policy of non-fraternization undesirable in Austria, in contrast to Germany where there are political reasons in favor of it. … it is considered desirable to terminate the present general policy of non-fraternization in Austria with respect to non-Germans at as early a date as is consistent with military considerations.” (740.00119 Control (Austria)/-6–2045)