852.00/8697
The Chargé in Sweden (Cabot) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 16.]
Sir: With reference to the Legation’s despatch No. 81 of December 2, 1938,5 item 1, page 1, I have the honor to report that the Secretary General of the Foreign Office yesterday confirmed to me the withdrawal of Sweden from the Sub–Committee of the Spanish Non-intervention Committee and said that the reasons given in the local press for this move were substantially correct.
[Page 260]The Secretary General stated that Sweden had been included originally on the Sub–Committee as one of the principal arms exporting nations. For a long time, however, it had become increasingly evident that Sweden and the other small nations represented on the Sub–Committee were merely being used by the Great Powers in their political manoeuvres, and were expected to ratify decisions taken by the Great Powers without having any real influence on these decisions. This position of responsibility without power was not only prejudicial to Sweden’s prestige but also at times politically disagreeable and even dangerous. Sweden had therefore gradually come to the conclusion that it must withdraw from the Sub–Committee.
In answer to a question the Secretary General said that Sweden and Belgium had not agreed beforehand on their simultaneous withdrawal from the Sub–Committee. There had, however, been discussions regarding this point between the two countries before their respective withdrawals, and in view of the similar positions which they occupy from the viewpoint both of internal and international politics it was not strange that they had reached a similar decision at almost the same moment.
Respectfully yours,
- Not printed.↩