740.00119 EW/12–1445: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Caffery)
5991. For Angell #111. Questions re gold found in Austria in urtel 7162 Dec 14 (From Angel #150)94 discussed in Deptel 5875 Dec 14 (For Angell #86). As indicated therein Dept averse to reserving other than Hungarian gold from pot and feels general discussion by Conference of Soviet interest in gold looted by Germany but fortuitously located in Austria should be avoided.
In practice, Hungarian gold may be distinguished from other gold since former not actually looted by Germans. Differentiation solely on this basis would probably be desirable to avoid analogous treatment of other gold merely because it was uncovered in Austria.
You may wish to examine this problem informally with Brit and French before definite position is taken in this matter. Urtels 7026 Dec 6 and 7162 Dec 14 give no indication of French attitude re Hungarian or other gold found in Austria. In view of French interest in pot Dept presumes French most concerned with maximizing amount of pot gold.
- Not printed; in this telegram Mr. Angell transmitted the text of a note from Sir David Waley wherein the latter inquired concerning the truth of reports that the United States held a quantity of gold found in Austria apart from the Hungarian gold. He also wished to know whether such gold would be put into the gold pot, and, if so, whether it was clear that the Soviet Union had no claim to it (740.00119 EW/12–1445).↩