740.00112 European War 1939/10830: Telegram
The Minister in Sweden (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 20—2:15 p.m.]
1797, Reference Department’s 948, May 19, 5 p.m.56 Shortly after arrival of Griffis and Poteat, they demanded of SKF precise information regarding the alleged obligation in Swedish-German trade agreement that Swedish Government guarantee deliveries up to the quota limit. They were later given by Marcus Wallenberg the German text [Page 548] of a clause said to have been taken from the Swedish-German trade agreement and to be the stipulation on which Swedish Government claims it has guaranteed these deliveries. Following is translation from this text:
“From the Swedish side the following deliveries have been specified in connection with the goods set forth below for the year 1944:
(j) Ball and roller bearings and parts therefor.”
This information was given by Wallenberg under pledge of utmost secrecy and our possession of it must not, under any circumstances, be disclosed.
Press comment on this aspect of all ball-bearing situation has been uniformly to effect that Swedish Government is under no obligation to Germans in connection with ball-bearing deliveries except to grant export licenses. We are unable here to see how language of clause above quoted constitutes in any sense a Government guarantee of deliveries.
If Wallenberg’s statement is correct that this clause is only stipulation of agreement which bears on this matter, it must be that Swedish Government chooses to or feels that it must interpret this clause as concerning such an obligation. In his talks Boheman has given no citation to back up his statement regarding Government’s guarantee.
- Not printed.↩