Office of the Historian

740.00112 European War 1939/10253: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State

London, February 23, 1944—4 p.m.
[Received February 23—3:44 p.m.]

1480. For Department, Stone, FEA and Riefler. Reference Embassy’s 1292 and 1293, February 15.39 In view of apparent Swedish acceptance in principle of our demand that transit traffic from Bothnian ports be discontinued, MEW and Embassy believe that situation is materially altered and that it is no longer appropriate to present memorandum as suggested in Embassy’s 1293, February 15.

2. MEW is considering at this time instructing British Minister, Stockholm to discuss with Swedish authorities the transit traffic situation along following lines:

(a)
Maintain our objection in principle to this traffic as a breach of at least a moral undertaking to us;
(b)
Attempt to put forward to Swedes explanations which would be considered plausible when offered to Germans as an excuse for discontinuance of this traffic; and
(c)
Possible consideration of bargain along lines suggested by Grönwall.40 Reference Stockholm’s 546 and 558 to Department,41

Embassy suggests that bargaining aspect of Grönwall’s suggestion be played down to as great an extent as possible in view of strong belief here that Swedes are morally bound to include traffic within 120,000 tons ceiling.

Winant
  1. Neither printed; telegram 1292 indicated that the proposed memorandum quoted in telegram 1293 had been agreed upon. It was similar to the aide-mémoire finally presented to the Swedish Government on March 17, p. 478.↩
  2. Tage Grönwall, Acting Chief of Bureau in the Commercial Division of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, suggested on February 16, 1944, that Bothnian traffic cessation might be arranged in exchange for limited supply by United States of certain materials, e.g., toluol, essential to the Swedish rearmament program.↩
  3. Neither printed.↩