740.0011 European War 1939/24636: Telegram
The Chargé in Sweden (Greene) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 3—1:34 a.m.]
2741. I asked Söderblom today (see Legation’s 2572 September 18, 11 p.m.) if he were prepared to discuss transit situation yet. He said that while certain ceilings beyond which transit of German war material and other goods would not be allowed to go had been determined he would not consider matter concluded until after return of Boheman who yesterday went to London for conversations on this and other questions with American and British officials. Tentative ceilings are roughly those mentioned in Ministry of Economic Warfare note of September 18 to Swedish Legation, referred to in London’s 529 [5249] September 19, 7 p.m., to Department, repeated here.
Soviet Government through Swedish Legation at Kuibyshev also bringing considerable pressure to bear on Swedish Government to reduce transit claiming it is breach of neutrality both for troops and material to cross Sweden to Finland or Norway and for troop transports to pass through Swedish waters. Soviet Government presented some very exaggerated figures in a memorandum on this subject, copy of which is being sent by mail to Department.37 Swedish Government will reply to this shortly pointing out articles of Hague [Page 357] Convention38 under which, these transports are permitted according to Swedish interpretation, Söderblom states no troop transports have passed through Swedish waters for several months.
For present no telegrams in strip code being repeated to London (see Legation’s 2437 September 8, 8 p.m. and 2467, September 10, 10 p.m.39).
- Not printed.↩
- Convention on neutral powers in naval war, signed at The Hague October 18, 1907, Foreign Relations, 1907, pt. 2, p. 1239.↩
- Neither printed.↩