Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Berlin Crisis, 1959–1960; Germany; Austria, Volume IX

326. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Austria⁰

Washington, July 5, 1960, 9:09 p.m.

23. From Acting Secretary for Ambassador. In light developments during Khrushchev visit (Embtels 23 and 34 and Deptel 19)¹ and continued inability Austrian Govt remove obstacles to Vienna Memorandum settlement I should appreciate your frank assessment regarding advisability my trip to Vienna at this juncture.² On one hand cancellation of trip might be useful as clear indication to Austrians our dissatisfaction with their failure promptly disassociate themselves from Khrushchev’s remarks and our increasing annoyance their inability definitively discharge their obligations under Vienna Memorandum. On other hand my visit might be useful in providing opportunity to Austrian public and press to express themselves in manner contrasting markedly with reception accorded Khrushchev. It might also be regarded as mark of friendship for small country, majority whose people and leaders showed no hesitation in exhibiting disapproval of Soviet Union. Another factor also to be considered is that Commies might be able to use cancellation for propaganda attacks.³

If you believe visit should go on as now planned, I should be grateful for any suggestions regarding my speech to Foreign Policy Society in light Khrushchev visit developments. It would be more convenient to have these before departure from Washington scheduled July 9 than having them forwarded to Geneva as previously indicated.⁴

Dillon

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 110.12–DI/7–560. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Stabler; cleared with McBride, Kohler and Day; and approved by Dillon.
1. Telegram 23 from Vienna, July 3, quoted remarks made by Khrushchev attacking the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany on July 2 at a rally sponsored by the Austro-Soviet Society in Vienna. (Ibid., 033.6163/7–360) Telegram 34 from Vienna, July 5, noted that the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany had lodged an official protest with the Austrian Government concerning Khrushchev’s attack on Adenauer and his country and requested instructions to lodge a similar protest. (Ibid., 033.6163/7–560) Telegram 19 to Vienna, July 5, transmitted the requested instructions. (Ibid.)
2. Dillon was scheduled to visit Vienna July 14–17.
3. Prior to transmission, the following paragraph was deleted from the text of the telegram at this point: “If you feel that visit should not be cancelled, another alternative might be to defer it and I should appreciate your views on this. If deferral should seem desirable, I would, of course, hope that my schedule would permit later visit.”
4. Telegram 43 from Vienna, July 5, received in Washington at 4:31 p.m., contained the recommendation that Dillon’s speech before the Foreign Policy Society on July 15 should touch not only on economic subjects but also on “America’s world-wide purposes.” (Department of State, Central Files, 110.12–DI/7–560) Although telegram 23 was not transmitted until 9:09 p.m., it was presumably drafted before receipt of telegram 43 from Vienna.