The re-organized Government of Austria has now been formally recognized by the U.S.S.R., the United states, the United Kingdom and France. There is no evidence yet that any other country has taken action to recognize the new Austrian Government, but there has been comment in the press about the possibility of other countries, including Canada, following the lead of the Big Four.

One possible course for us to follow would be to defer the question of Canadian recognition until it was raised automatically by some development, such as a request for the exchange of diplomatic or consular representatives. This policy would have two possible disadvantages; one, that we would be failing to give encouragement to a political development in Austria which appears to be favourable; the other, that we will probably be under pressure to take action from organizations such as the Free Austrian Movement, and it would be regrettable if our eventual recognition were to appear to be the result of these representations.

If, for these reasons, you would prefer some action to be taken at the present time, it occurs to me that we need do no more than simply "take note" of the re-establishment of an independent Austrian Government. The precedents established in the recognition of the Czechoslovak and Polish Governments are not very helpful in the case of Austria, and I do not see any reason for going further than simply acknowledging the existence of an independent Austrian Government. With this in mind, I attach a draft press release for your consideration. If it were decided that such a press release should be issued,/ I presume that a copy could be sent in advance to the High Commissioner for Canada in London, with the suggestion that appropriate steps should be taken to see that it is drawn informally to the attention of the Austrian authorities. This latter step should be taken, I think, in order that the Austrian Government may receive word of our action through some channel other than the local Free Austrian Movement.

N. A. R[oBERTSON]