740.00112 European War 1939/7200: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Sweden (Greene)
1132. London’s 184, December 9, repeating to you Department’s 6112, December 3 to London. The British Embassy here has informed us that during his conversation at the Swedish Foreign Office, Spörborg ascertained that Boheman had reported our consent to the departure of the Sveadrott and the Saturnus but had not reported either our agreement in principle to the increase in the Swedish oil quota or our position regarding the two Norwegian ships at Göteborg. In the light of Boheman’s statements here, we assume that he omitted reporting these matters before leaving Washington because of his expressed desire to present the whole picture in person to his Government. However, in view of his long delay at Bermuda due to weather conditions we believe that the Swedish Foreign Office should be apprised of our position as soon as possible.
Accordingly, you should call on Söderblom, explain the foregoing to him and give him orally the substance of paragraph 1 (except subsection (c)) of the Department’s 6112 to London referred to above.
[Page 370]You should make clear to Söderblom our regret that conditions beyond control have delayed Boheman’s return and that we have authorized you to anticipate Boheman’s personal report to his Government because we thought it only fair to the Swedish Government to have this information now in view of approaches made to them already by the British.
In view of contents of your 3604, December 18, which has just arrived, you should arrange to call on Söderblom to give him the foregoing information before Mallet’s visit to the Foreign Office Monday.58 Perhaps you can see Söderblom on Sunday.
In informing Söderblom that we told Boheman that no action looking to the departure of the Norwegian ships would be taken by us until after the arrival of the tankers, you may say that this statement was of course based on the assumption that the tankers will not be unduly delayed enroute to Sweden.
Further instructions regarding the possibility of your association with the proposed British démarche will be sent after we have been informed by British Embassy here of London’s reaction to Sporborg’s suggestion mentioned in your 3604.
You may inform your British colleague of the foregoing.
Repeated to London.
- December 21.↩