NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY


tively well established as legitimate 'political authority. There is
plenty of political extremism but not as nmuch as we.had feared. In
particular, ,refugees have shown greater moderation than 'we were
entitled to expet ,from them in their desperate situation.
  But we must avoid over-confidence ,with respect to Germany. Its
economic and population, problems are bitter. Eastern German re-
public constitutes dangerous and unscrupulous competition to healthy
western Germany. We should not u nderrate persistence ,and: resource-
fulness Of Russians and their !helpers in eastern Germany. We must,
remember that German people are still politically immature and
lacking in any realistic understanding of themselves and their past
mistakes.
   (4) Autria7
   We have gone very far and made many compromises to get an Aus-
trian treaty. It looks now as though Russians had no serious intentions
of concluding such a treaty in present circumstances. We began nego-
tiations in London, Jan. 9, where we hope to find out definitely whether
they want a treaty or don't want it.
  Austrians are impatient, to a serious degree, with foreign occupa-
tion, and many would prefer to risk attempt at "neutralized status"
if foreign troops could be gotten out.
  We must continue to handle ,this situation tactfully and to give
Austrians all due support in their difficult situation. Austria is a key
country politically in Central Europe.
B. Far East
  In Far East, we have a complicated p;roblem with respect to the
expansion of Russian Communism. Great dangers in over-simplified
and impulsive approaches.
  By and large, problem is this. Most peoples of area dangerously
vulnerable to communist penetration by virtue of
   (1) Political immaturity
   (2) General Present state of flux land instability
   (3) Stubborn misconceptions about western nations, including
ourselves, arising out of past experiences with colonialism  and
imperialism.
  Remember, Russians haven't attacked anyone riiitarily since V-J
Day. Iheir: successes, such as they have been, have been pri*nrily in
minds of men. True, their communist stooges have used force; but they
first had to be convinced themselves.
  No automatic means of "stopping communism" on our part, particu-
larly where it is primarily a matter of men's minds.

  Documentation on United States policy with respect to Austria is scheduled
for publication in volume iv.


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