Office of the Historian

740.00119 Control (Austria)/10–1645: Telegram

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

Vienna, October 16, 1945—noon.
[Received October 16—11:50 a.m.]

341. Soviet refusal to consider conversion policy in Allied Council and their prohibition on Soviet representative discussion political aspects program in Finance Committee prevent progress here. Urgency of securing reversal Soviet position and acceptance before October 20 of conversion program approved earlier Finance Committee indicate issue should be raised Moscow. I strongly support position stated in War Dept’s Agwar for JCS from Clark (PV 8184, Oct. 1351).

Erhardt
  1. Not printed; this telegram, which was repeated to the Department for information, described in detail the breakdown of negotiations in the Finance Committee. General Clark stated that it was obvious that the Soviets were stalling and recommended that representations be made to Moscow emphasizing the urgency of the situation and the complete concurrence of the Austrians themselves to the previously approved plan. It was important, he said, that the matter be settled at the October 20th meeting of the Allied Council. (740.00119–Control (Austria)/10–1345)↩