Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Eastern Europe, Volume XXV

133. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Murphy) to the Secretary of State¹

Washington, October 29, 1956.

SUBJECT

• Call of the Austrian Ambassador regarding handling of Hungarian refugees in Austria

Ambassador Gruber called on me this morning under instructions from his Government to request the urgent attention of the American Government to a potential problem regarding the handling of refugees which may cross from Hungary.² He said that the policy of his Government was to give asylum to anyone entering Austria from Hungary providing they surrender their arms. This applies whether they come over individually or in large units. At the present time the flow of refugees is not significant but may quickly become so in the event of a decisive development.

While Austria is concerned with the economic burden of this policy, they are even more concerned with the potential political difficulties. They therefore are appealing to us to give immediate consideration, presumably in concert with other Western Nations, to the possibilities of moving Hungarian refugees out of Austria to some other location at an early date if the flow becomes significant. Otherwise Austria will be placed in a most difficult position as a neutral country in its relations with the East.

In answer to my inquiry as to what precise form of activity he had in mind, whether for instance UN action was contemplated, he said this was not clearly formulated in the Austrian mind and possibly it would be an action that could be taken by NATO. They visualized that possibly a group of Western countries would each agree to take a fixed percentage of new refugees. He pointed out that these people had shown the independence and aggressiveness to take part in the uprising. They would constitute a particularly desirable group for any country to take. Besides relieving Austria of the problem it would be most important psychologically to the West that this group not remain couped up under unsatisfactory conditions in Austria for a long period of time. This would provide an additional discouragement to anyone to make a future show of independence. I inquired how the Austrians planned to handle the people they took in. Ambassador Gruber said he would advise his Government not to place them in concentration camps, but to give them as much liberty as possible. However, he did not know whether it would be possible to do this. This was a problem that would have to be worked out.

There was also a brief discussion about the advisability of accepting any Communists that might come over as a result of developments and we both agreed that the policy would be to take anyone that came over.

I assured the Ambassador that this would be brought to your attention and that it would receive our urgent consideration.

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 764.00/10–2956. Confidential. Drafted by Horace G. Torbert, Jr., Officer in Charge of Italian and Austrian Affairs.
2. Murphy met with Ambassador Karl Gruber the day before to inform him of the steps the United States was contemplating concerning U.N. action. Gruber raised the refugee situation on that occasion. (Memorandum of conversation by Bennett, October 28; ibid., 764.00/10–2856)