396.1 BE/2–1354: Telegram
No. 470
The Secretary of
State to the President1
niact
Dulte 69. For the President from the Secretary. Eyes only for the Acting Secretary. Molotov’s presentation last night2 regarding Austria seemed to destroy last lingering hope of any substantial agreement here. It turned the clock back on Austria and cut heart out of proposed treaty by providing for indefinite Soviet occupation so that treaty would not be treaty of liberation but of servitude. Am seeing Molotov alone this afternoon at his request, presumably [Page 1077] in connection with atomic procedure. Hope to use this meeting to get further insight regarding basic Soviet political attitude.3
The quadripartite committee mentioned in my message to you of February 124 met last night and the three Western representatives were in general agreement that the conference should terminate on Thursday afternoon.5 While the Soviet representative raised no objection, he simply said he would report this view to Molotov and give us the latter’s reaction this afternoon.
I shall try to stop Bonn to see Adenauer for few hours on way back. Best regards.
- A memorandum, dated Feb. 13, states that a copy of this message was delivered to the White House at 12:25 that day. (396.1 BE/2–1354)↩
- Regarding Molotov’s statement on Austria, see Secto 129, Document 464.↩
- Regarding Dulles’ meeting with Molotov, see Dulte 71, infra.↩
- Dulte 67, Document 460.↩
- Regarding this meeting, see footnote 5, Document 463.↩