ABSTRACT
Austria is important to United States (US) security because of its geographic location and its present occupied status wherein US and Soviet forces are in immediate contact. From a military point of view, the strategic importance of Austria lies in its central geographic location, and in its present relationship with the Soviet-satellite area. From an economic point of view, Austria’s strategic importance to the US lies largely in its position as a transit center for east-west as well as north-south transit. The importance of Austria to the USSR is primarily a matter of geographic location. The power of the Austrian Government is subject to the limitations imposed by the Allied Commission composed of the four occupying powers. Austrian reaction to the recent CFM agreements has been one of cautious optimism. Unemployment in Austria today is a relatively unimportant problem and the largest laboring force since 1919 is at work.
