740.00119 Control (Austria)/10–145
Memorandum of Conversation Between the United States Military Commissioner for Austria (Clark) and Dr. Karl Renner27
After an exchange of amenities, Dr. Renner said that he was pleased to be able to bring General Clark the good news that the recent laender conference had gone very well. General Clark brought up the question of the police, and Dr. Renner explained that the conference had not been able to remove Honner as Minister of the Interior. This was [Page 614] principally for two reasons, first, insistence upon Honner’s removal would likely have embittered the Soviets, and second, it would have opened the way for agitation and trouble-breeding demonstrations on the part of the Austrian Communists. Dr. Renner expressed confidence, however, that the matter had been effectively handled in another way. He then described the five-man Commission established by the conference with jurisdiction in all public safety matters and explained how it would work in actual practice. He laid great stress on the fact that in case of disagreement the Political Cabinet would have the power of decision and not Honner. General Clark called attention to the fact that a Communist was on the Political Cabinet,28 too, and asked Dr. Renner what would happen if the Political Cabinet disagreed on any particular question. To this Dr. Renner replied that he could do exactly like he had done on two previous occasions when the Political Cabinet was deadlocked. He would not permit the question to come to a vote in the Political Cabinet but he would simply say that it was apparent to him that the will of his Ministers was to have the matter decided in a certain way and that on his own responsibility he was deciding it in that way. Anybody who wasn’t satisfied with his decision could resign.
Dr. Renner said that the other check imposed by the conference on Honner’s police power, namely, the Advisory Councils to the police headquarters in the provinces and Vienna, was very important. The general public, he said, had overlooked this fact. He explained that the decisions of these councils did not have to be unanimous, and he seemed to feel that such councils would exert a real and wholesome influence.
There followed an extended discussion of the Vienna police. Dr. Renner admitted that the heads of the police in practically all of the districts in Vienna were Communists. This situation was due to the fact that when the Russians entered Vienna in April they had installed Communists in these positions. Dr. Renner then said that Dr. Pamer,29 Police President in Vienna, and an old-line career police official, had been forced on Honner. Pamer had set up his own secret-service to check on these Communist district leaders, and had obtained a great deal of adverse information on many of them. As a result, two or three had been dismissed and replaced by non-Communists. In addition, Dr. Renner said that the Socialists and the Communists in Vienna had recently reached an understanding whereby several men were to be removed, and he thought that by the time the election was held this fall perhaps only one-third of the district police chiefs would be Communists. With regard to the rank and file of the police [Page 615] employees in Vienna, Dr. Renner said that it was often asserted that they were Communists also but in reality they were not.
General Clark asked Dr. Renner whether it would be possible to hold free and honest elections this fall. Dr. Renner, with great confidence, replied in the affirmative. In support of his views he described the five-man commission under a Peoples Party Under Secretary in the Ministry of the Interior which would have complete jurisdiction in election questions. He laid great stress on the fact that this new machinery completely by-passed Honner. As to the voting in the provinces, especially Lower Austria, he said that he had no doubts whatsoever that honest elections could be held. This was due to the fact that Austria had splendid election laws and election machinery. The officials in the polling booths would be composed at least nine-tenths of representatives of the Peoples Party and Socialists. Dr. Renner said that the City of Vienna was the only place which offered any real possibilities of manipulations of the elections but that he personally felt sure that even here the Communists would not be able to exercise any determining influence. Dr. Renner said that for his part he would be glad to see the occupying powers supervise the elections in some way and in this connection he said that the mere presence of the troops would exert a good influence.
At the end of this discussion of elections, General Clark asked Dr. Renner if he could guarantee free and honest elections. To this Dr. Renner replied in the affirmative.
Dr. Renner said that no members of the Nazi party should be allowed to vote at this election because they were the very people who had scoffed at elections and all democratic processes.
General Clark then referred to the Allied Council meeting scheduled for October one, and said that he had talked today with both Marshal Koniev and General McCreery. General Clark said he did not know what the Allied Council might decide about the provisional government but that he wanted to go over with Dr. Renner some of the points that might come up at the Council meeting. These points were as follows:
- (1)
- Extension of authority of the government. Dr. Renner said that he would be satisfied with this because it was the essence of the matter providing as it would for his authority in matters of internal administration. He said that he, of course, would prefer recognition (Anerkennung) because it was more dignified, would give his government more prestige and increased scope and power in dealing with the neighboring states.
- (2)
- General Clark said that whatever the Allied Council might do, it would have to be clearly understood that the Allied Commission would remain the supreme authority in Austria. Dr. Renner said that he thoroughly understood this.
- (3)
- Would Dr. Renner obligate himself to hold elections this year. He said he would.
- (4)
- General Clark said that the Allied Commission would reserve to itself the exercise of certain functions such as frontier control, diplomatic representation, etc. Dr. Renner said he was agreeable to this.
- (5)
- General Clark said that the Allied Commission might decide in some way to assume more direct control or supervision of the police. Dr. Renner said he would be pleased if this were done.
- (6)
- General Clark said that the Allied Commission would want to review all the old laws passed by the Provisional Government, many of which might be acceptable but others would require modification. Dr. Renner said he was agreeable to this.
- (7)
- General Clark said that the Commission would likely wish to pass on new laws before they were promulgated. Dr. Renner said this would be quite satisfactory but that the Commission should do this promptly because some laws were of an urgent character and could not wait a long time for decision.
- (8)
- General Clark said that laws, ordinances, etc., put into effect by the occupying powers could not be set aside by anything the Provisional Government might do. Dr. Renner said he understood this.
At the close of this discussion about legislation, Dr. Renner made a general remark to the effect that he would be quite satisfied if his cabinet could go ahead and discuss such laws as seem necessary and then bring them to the Commission for approval.
Dr. Renner then said that he wanted to bring up something with General Clark which he considered to be of supreme importance. He said that in Austria today he could strongly feel the political tug-of-war between the USSR and Great Britain. This made it extremely difficult for him when he had to do something which he knew would offend one or the other of these powers. The Soviets, for example, had helped Austria in a time of great need and they wanted payment for this political debt. He needed, he said, to lean on an objective friend like the United States. He referred in this connection to the negotiations for the oil contract and said that the support of the United States had been very helpful in enabling him to resist Soviet pressure. He also referred to the Soviet interest in Danube shipping. This was a ticklish matter and he would need all the help he could get in trying to reach a solution which would be fair to Austria and all concerned. General Clark replied that he would be just as helpful as possible at all times.
Dr. Renner said that the Soviets were extraordinarily “tough” in their dealings and that they were meticulous in even the smallest matters; for example, he referred to an Austrian Trade Delegation which the Soviets wanted to come to Moscow. The Soviets had clearly, although not openly, linked the sending of this mission with [Page 617] the oil contract, and when the latter failed to materialize the Soviets had called off the Trade Delegation visit to Moscow.
At the close of the conversation, General Clark said that there were some three thousand political prisoners in jail in the American zone in Vienna. He had ordered an immediate investigation as to why these people were in jail. Any of them who were there for a good cause he proposed to take out and put in special camps. Those whom he found to be held without good reason he intended to set free. Dr. Renner indicated that he was in agreement with General Clark’s proposal.
Just before leaving, Dr. Renner said to General Clark that he was glad to see a General in politics, especially a man of action like General Clark.