663.001/5–450: Telegram
The United States Deputy for Austria at the Council of Foreign Ministers ( Reber ) to the Secretary of State
2440. Delau 457. From Reber. 253rd meeting Austrian deputies convened today under British chairmanship.1 Soviet deputy called attention to length of adjournment proposed by Western deputies in 252nd meeting implied that earlier meeting requested by him for purpose continuation work, stated that interval should have given sufficient time for other delegates consider Soviet amendment Article 9, discussion of which he requested at this meeting. US deputy, supported by British and French, pointed out that this not forum for discussion unsubstantiated charges regarding alleged Austrian failure demilitarize, denazify, that proper body to investigate such charges was AC Vienna, that AC did not find substance these charges, that therefore no facts before deputies to justify reopening agreed article, that it obvious that Soviet proposal for amendment mere pretext for delay.
Soviet deputy accusing Western deputies being responsible for delay launched into long, irrelevant, and obviously propagandists particularized statement paraphrasing recent Soviet note charging US, UK, French violations Italian treaty with respect Trieste.2 Connection of speech to proposed amendment Article 9 tenuous to point of invisibility. Western deputies characterizing speech as improper, propagandists, and frivolous, insisted that purpose thereof to becloud issue and afford ground further delay, stated their readiness and willingness proceed with settlement on all agreed articles, including 48 bis.
Soviet deputy, who significantly never mentioned Article 48 bis, proposed discussion beginning with Article 16. US deputy pointed out function of deputies not to discuss, but to settle, proposed immediate agreement 48 bis on Soviet terms, as proof of willingness to agree, reiterated readiness discuss all articles provided assurance given that all articles would be settled, that this assurance has been consistently sought by Western deputies and consistently rejected by Soviets. Soviet deputy insisted each article had its own peculiarities and should be discussed seriatim. He categorically refused to give any assurance of any kind. British deputy pointed out uselessness of continuing [Page 457] discussion unless such discussion would lead to settlement, and useless discuss separate articles unless assurance that process would lead to agreement on all articles.
Deputies adjourned to May 22. Soviets agreed to date but refused responsibility for length of adjournment.
Sent Department 2440, repeated Paris 739, Vienna 102, Moscow 132.
- The United States Delegation minutes of this meeting are in CFM Files, Lot M–88, Box 117, USDel Mins.↩
- For the text of an extract from the Soviet note on the Free Territory of Trieste, handed to the Ambassadors of the United States, United Kingdom, and France on April 20, and the full text of the United States reply of June 16, see Margaret Carlyle, ed., Documents on International Affairs, 1949–1950 (London, Oxford University Press, 1953), pp. 515 ff.↩