740.00112 European War 1939/8728: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 21—10:06 a.m.]
4093. Department’s 3709, June 15, 9 p.m.
- 1.
- Following is summary of text of proposed Swedish declaration
regarding transit traffic as agreed upon by Swedish, British and
American negotiators subject to approval by their respective
Governments:
Sweden undertakes to terminate before October 1st transit across Sweden by air, internal waterways or land of Axis military personnel and semi-military forces such as Todt Organization and of Axis war supplies. Sweden agrees simultaneously to limit to 120,000 tons per annum transit of all other goods passing from Germany or associated countries and occupied territories to either Finland or Norway. Up to August 1st Swedish Government has the right to inform the United Kingdom and United States Governments that foregoing measures cannot be carried through on October 1st, if Swedish Government considers that changes in the war situation have appreciably increased the risks involved in terminating transit traffic. In such event Sweden, United States and United Kingdom will jointly reconsider termination date and if agreement is not reached, United States and United Kingdom have the right to discontinue permitting Sweden to import basic rations, including oil supplies, through the blockade. In case of such discontinuance the three Governments will discuss the resulting situation and its bearing on the British, American and Swedish declarations agreed upon in London. Sweden affirms that passage of German personnel and war supplies through Falsterbo Canal is already forbidden and agrees to institute strict inspection of all German-controlled vessels passing through the canal whose port of origin or destination is not a Swedish port.
Finally, Sweden undertakes that Swedish naval vessels shall nowhere escort ships carrying German military personnel or war supplies.
- 2.
- Department will note that the undertaking with reference to the transit of non-military supplies across Sweden after October 1st is so phrased that the total traffic—Denmark through Sweden to Norway or Finland, Norway through Sweden to Norway [Germany?], Norway through Sweden to Finland, and Germany through Sweden to Norway or Finland—is limited to 120,000 tons per annum although the previous limits of approximately 200,000 tons for total transit traffic, military and non-military combined, applied solely to traffic from Denmark and Germany through Sweden to Norway or Finland. It is our impression that Hägglöf may not have been aware of this difference when he finally agreed to the figure of 120,000 tons. It is possible, consequently, that Stockholm will reopen this issue.
- 3.
- Annexed to draft declaration is a list of war supplies to be added to the present Swedish list. We have pressed vigorously for the definite inclusion of petroleum supplies in the revised list but have only succeeded in obtaining their tentative inclusion in the face of Hägglöf’s assertion that he is under specific instructions not to accept this point. He made us a counter-offer to limit oil transits to present volume until August 1st when subject would be rediscussed, but we declined to negotiate on this basis. We feel that the Swedish Government may well renew this issue when it receives the full text of the draft transit traffic declaration.
- For your information, according to the Swedes, the transit of oil from Germany through Sweden to Norway and Finland averaged 150 tons per month during the period November 1942–April 1943 and transit from Norway to Norway [Germany?] through Sweden averaged 950 tons per month during the period January–April 1943.
- 4.
- Arrangements for supply of oil to Sweden are covered by an exchange of letters (texts of which have been agreed upon subject to approval in Washington and Stockholm) under which United States agrees (a) that 120,000 tons of petroleum products be made available in the Caribbean and Gulf areas for shipment to Sweden in Swedish tankers in time for arrival between January 1st and October 1, 1943; (b) that tanker Julius be permitted to make one self-compensating voyage; and (c) that petroleum products be added to the list of basic rations and that the ration be 30,000 tons per quarter subject to the understanding that the basic ration for the four quarters of 1943 shall be made available for shipment before October 1, 1943.
Swedish reply to the foregoing letter will contain acceptance of the conditions laid down in the Department’s 3709 of June 15. Inclusion of the oil quota in the basic rations makes the oil an additional and most important sanction for all of the commitments Swedes are assuming under their economic declaration.