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(a) United States Embassy at Vienna

Because of United States occupation responsibilities, the United States Embassy in Vienna has had a staff larger than in other countries of comparable size. The resumption of normal relations with Austria will make possible a sizable reduction of United States civilian personnel in Austria. This reduction, however, will be gradual since for a period not to exceed 18 months, the United States will share the responsibility for executing and interpreting the treaty terms. Moreover, there are many problems arising from the 10-year occupation period which will have to be liquidated. Even after this transition period has ended, the executive branch anticipates the maintenance of a somewhat larger diplomatic establishment than in countries of similar size because Austria will remain a highly important area to the United States. Nevertheless, substantial savings in personnel can be anticipated.

(b) Information program activities

The same general factors govern future United States information activities in Austria. Certain activities of the United States Information Agency (USIA) will be suspended as no longer compatible with Austria's new sovereign position-such as the maintenance of the United States radio station and newspaper. Indeed, the Senate Appropriations Committee has already made a reduction of $300,000 in the USIA appropriation request based on suspension of publication of the Wiener Kurier-the American newspaper published in Vienna. However, USIA will continue to maintain a vigorous program in Austria. The Department of State informed the committee as follows:

For the foreseeable future, however, the State Department regards the continuation of a strong USIA program in Austria to be very important. It is important because of Austria's geographical position adjacent to satellite countries, because of the new phase Austrian-United States relations are entering and because Austria will undoubtedly remain a major target for Soviet propaganda. The State Department is informed that substantial savings in the program will be made, but the exact manner in which the program will be reduced or modified is being studied by USIA.

16. COMMITTEE CONCLUSIONS

The Committee on Foreign Relations was unanimous in recommending to the Senate that it give its advice and consent to the ratification of the Austrian State Treaty. It feels sure that the Senate will give its overwhelming endorsement to the recommendation of the President and the Committee on Foreign Relations, thus making it possible to welcome Austria into full and free membership in the society of nations-a membership which was taken from the Austrian people by the aggression of Hitlerite Germany.

The committee stresses the fact that the treaty before the Senate is not a peace treaty. This Nation was never at war with Austria. The treaty is, rather, the Austrian State Treaty which restores Austria to the status of independence it occupied before the Anschluss.

Austria has been in an anomalous position since the war. The unwillingness of the Soviet Union for 10 years to conclude a treaty which would fulfill the promises of the Moscow Declaration of 1943 that Austria should be reestablished as a "free and independent" nation, has imposed heavy burdens on the Austrian people. They have been unwilling to compromise their desire to establish themselves as a free nation. In cooperation with the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, Austria has insisted that the price for the State Treaty should never encompass restrictions on Austrian freedom.

Any treaty embodies accommodation on the part of the parties. That means that freely negotiated treaties seldom, if ever, satisfy fully the desires of all the parties. The Austrian State Treaty is no exception. It does, however, assure Austrian independence and does not contain provisions so onerous as to justify any further delay in bringing it into effect.

The Committee on Foreign Relations desires to express its deep appreciation for the perseverance of the executive branch of this Government under Democratic and Republican administrations in the long and tedious negotiations that have been undertaken in connection with the conclusion of the Austrian Treaty. It desires also to express its appreciation to the Government and the people of Austria for their steadfast devotion to principle during many difficult and trying years. For it is the continuing faith which the Austrian people had in the cause of freedom-more than any other single factor-which made possible the eventual restoration of independence to that country. The committee urges the Senate to give its approval to the pending treaty.

Part IV

ARMISTICE AGREEMENTS:

NEAR EAST, KOREA, INDO-CHINA1

Near East

1. EGYPTIAN-ISRAELI GENERAL ARMISTICE AGREEMENT, FEBRUARY 24, 1949 2

Preamble

The Parties to the present Agreement, responding to the Security Council resolution of 16 November 1948 calling upon them, as a further provisional measure under Article 40 of the Charter of the United Nations and in order to facilitate the transition from the present truce to permanent peace in Palestine, to negotiate an Armistice; having decided to enter into negotiations under United Nations Chairmanship concerning the implementation of the Security Council resolutions of 4 and 16 November 1948;3 and having appointed representatives empowered to negotiate and conclude an Armistice Agreement; The undersigned representatives, in the full authority entrusted to them by their respective Governments, have agreed upon the following provisions:

Article I

With a view to promoting the return to permanent peace in Palestine and in recognition of the importance in this regard of mutual assurances concerning the future military operations of the Parties, the following

1 For documents on subsequent developments in these areas, see infra, Parts XIII (Near East, South Asia, and Africa), XIV (Far East), and XV (Korea). 2 U.N. doc. S/1264/Rev. 1, Dec. 13, 1949. For entry into force, see article XII (1).

3 U.N. docs. S/1070 (Call for withdrawal of forces to positions held on 14 October 1948 and establishment of permanent truce lines and neutral zones) and S/1080 (Call for establishment of an armistice); U.N. Security Council, Official Records, Third Year, Supplement for November 1948, pp. 7 and 13-14.

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principles, which shall be fully observed by both Parties during the Armistice, are hereby affirmed:

1. The injunction of the Security Council against resort to military force in the settlement of the Palestine question shall henceforth be scrupulously respected by both Parties.

2. No aggressive action by the armed forces-land, sea, or air-of either Party shall be undertaken, planned, or threatened against the people or the armed forces of the other; it being understood that the use of the term "planned" in this context has no bearing on normal staff planning as generally practiced in military organizations.

3. The right of each Party to its security and freedom from fear of attack by the armed forces of the other shall be fully respected.

4. The establishment of an armistice between the armed forces of the two Parties is accepted as an indispensable step toward the liquidation of armed conflict and the restoration of peace in Palestine.

Article II

1. In pursuance of the foregoing principles and of the resolutions of the Security Council of 4 and 16 November 1948, a general armistice between the armed forces of the two Parties-land, sea and air-is hereby established.

2. No element of the land, sea or air military or para-military forces of either Party, including non-regular forces, shall commit any warlike or hostile act against the military or para-military forces of the other Party, or against civilians in territory under the control of that Party; or shall advance beyond or pass over for any purpose whatsoever the Armistice Demarcation Line set forth in Article VI of this Agreement except as provided in Article III of this Agreement; and elsewhere shall not violate the international frontier; or enter into or pass through the air space of the other Party or through the waters within three miles of the coastline of the other Party.

Article III

1. In pursuance of the Security Council's resolution of 4 November 1948, and with a view to the implementation of the Security Council's resolution of 16 November 1948, the Egyptian Military Forces in the AL FALUJA area shall be withdrawn.

2. This withdrawal shall begin on the day after that which follows the signing of this Agreement, at 0500 hours GMT, and shall be beyond the Egypt-Palestine frontier.

3. The withdrawal shall be under the supervision of the United Nations and in accordance with the Plan of Withdrawal set forth in Annex I to this Agreement.

1 Not reprinted here.

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