File No. 658.119/601
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain ( Page)
1387. For Sheldon [from War Trade Board]:
No. 1217. Your 1386, Embassy 1679, September 6, 6 p.m. We feel that instructions already given by Department to Legation at Stockholm,2 set out in Department’s 1191, September 5, 3 p.m., our 1161, are substantially along the lines of A[llied] B[lockade] C[ommittee] recommendations, in that they constitute primarily a demand for full information and do not commit the Government to any specific demand for reparation. With reference to the objections [Page 1290] of the Foreign Office referred to in the last paragraph of 1386, you should point out that we do not ask for the “text of any agreement which Sweden may have with Germany” but merely the text of any agreements relating to exports which Sweden may have with Germany. We feel clearly entitled to know the terms of any export agreements which Sweden has with Germany, in so much as Sweden attempts to justify her exports on the basis of such existing agreements, which Sweden claims could not immediately be nullified on the conclusion of agreement with Associated Governments. American Legation at Stockholm in accord with legations of Associated Governments has strongly urged that in preliminary statement to Swedish Government we demand resignation of president of Handels Kommission. We have not approved of making such a demand in our preliminary note, our position being that we should reserve our attitude as to compensation and reparation until full facts are disclosed.