711.62114 Sick/13: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Sweden ( Johnson )
861. United States and British are now negotiating with Germany for the mutual repatriation of seriously sick and seriously wounded prisoners of war under Geneva Prisoners of War Convention. It has been proposed to Germany that, if agreeable to the Swedish Government, American prisoners of war to be repatriated shall be delivered to the United States authorities at Göteborg at which point there will be [Page 67] delivered to the German authorities the German repatriables presently held in the United States and United Kingdom by the American armed forces.
The United States Government will make available for delivery at one time at Göteborg the prisoners of war being delivered there by it and will expect the German Government to do likewise with regard to the American prisoners of war to be delivered at Göteborg. The United States Government intends to send to Göteborg enough shipping to take delivery at one time of all prisoners being returned to it there.
Inform the Swedish Government in the strictest confidence of these negotiations and ask if the port of Goteborg can be utilized as proposed by the United States Government to deliver and exchange the prisoners of war to be repatriated. The Swedish Government should also be informed that the United States Government is particularly anxious that this matter be given no publicity whatsoever.