File No. 763.72112Sa/121
The Minister in Sweden ( Morris) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 11, 10.40 a.m.]
2452. Your 910, July 5, 6 p.m.1 The question of safe-conducts was agreed to by Sweden during the conferences held at Berlin previous to the signing of the Allied-Swedish agreement. Safe-conducts apply to ships importing Sweden and those carrying on Sweden’s legitimate trade with neutrals, but not those carrying [on] a trade which serves Germany’s enemies. Germany declared also that ships which could have secured safe-conducts, but failed to do so, would have to suffer the consequences. The Swedish delegates declared that they do not consider safe-conducts from Germany a favor, as advantages were mutual, and that they only accepted them because the security given to Swedish imports more than compensated for other disadvantages. Upon Germany giving full information about the safe-conduct certificate, Sweden objected that the most difficult condition was the obligation not to include articles on German contraband list in her exports to belligerent countries.
In my interview with the Minister for Foreign Affairs this morning I brought up the question of safe-conducts, and he stated that ships going to America carrying contraband would of course not receive a safe-conduct, but would receive one on the return voyage if carrying supplies for Sweden under the agreement. One of the principal objects of the safe-conducts is to avoid having Swedish boats taken into German ports for examination. As to the general problem of control, he did not seem to resent it, apparently considering that if Germany really desired to stop Swedish vessels she would either take or torpedo them even in territorial waters, and that therefore anything that Sweden could do towards insuring the arrival of supplies under the agreement was a clear advantage.
In reply to a query as to whether it would not be possible to load cargoes from Narvik, he said that it was not, as there was only a single line of rail and the traffic could not be handled.
He loaned me a copy of one of the safe-conduct warrants and following is a translation:
Safe-Conduct Certificate
On the basis of the agreement made between the Imperial German Government and the Royal Swedish Government it is certified herewith [Page 1087] that the Swedish steamer _______, master _______, home port _______, distinguishing signal _______, with a cargo for _______, from _______, is destined to _______, via _______.
German naval forces have instructions to grant the ship unrestrained passage if the following conditions are fulfilled:
- 1.
- The ship sails outside of the danger zone, to be equipped with a visible neutral sign, flies the Swedish flag day and night, carries at night the prescribed lights, and does not sail in enemy escort.
- 2.
- The ship is on its way in direct route to the next port indicated after copying [in this?] safe-conduct certificate.
- 3.
- The ship fulfils the instructions of a ship of the German naval forces if stopped.
- 4.
- The boat has no other cargo on board than that specified in the manifest.
Should one of these conditions or any other provision of this safe-conduct certificate not be fulfilled, the ship loses every right to preferential treatment. This safe-conduct certificate is valid only for the present voyage. It is to be given up immediately after arrival in the specified port, that is, in a neutral European port, to the nearest German consulate, otherwise to those authorities empowered to issue safe-conduct certificate.