Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

OFFICE OF DECLASSIFIED THE SECRETARY OF STATE they E.O. Guidelines, March 9-10-8 6, 1982 12065, Sec. 3-402 WASHINGTON State Dept. DEB NLT, Date August 15, 1952 By SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS AUSTRIA: Last night at midnight the Soviets delivered by messenger to Embassy Moscow a six-page note referring to our notes of March 13th and May 9th which pro- posed an "abbreviated treaty' for Austria. The Soviet reply was negative. It reiterates the Soviets' willingness to con- clude a treaty with Austria on the basis of the 1946 Foreign Ministers' meeting and the Potsdam Conference. The note gives a lengthy exposition of why the proposed abbreviated treaty does not conform to already agreed provisions for the treaty with Austria -- it says that the draft treaty does not guarantee democratic rights and freedoms, including the secret election of the government; that it does not envisage measures guaran- teeing the existence of democratic parties and organizations; that it makes no mention of the right of Austria to maintain its own armed forces, etc. The note asks us to withdraw the pro- posal for an "abbreviated treaty' as not being in conformity with the reestablishment of an independent and democratic Austrian Government or with the agreements among the four Powers. The note also 'awaits assurance from us that we are prepared to conclude a review of the treaty with Austria. It states that similar notes are being sent to the British and French Governments. THE SAAR: Messrs. Schuman and Hallstein held their second meeting on the Saar in Paris on Wednesday and made a modicum of progress on the political aspects of the "European solution" for the Saar, although they still showed con- siderable divergence on the economic aspects of the problem. The meeting was conducted on the basis of a memorandum sub- mitted by Mr. Schuman. The most novel provision of the memo- randum is that after signature of the agreement on Curopeanizing the Saar and prior to its ratification by the signatories, the agree- ment would be submitted for approval directly to the Saar popula- tion. The French will undoubtedly consider German approval of this idea to be the touchstone of German sincerity in these negotiations. This formula by-passes the thorny question of new political parties to which the French objected so strenuously. SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION