740.00112 European War 1939/7–1344: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
London, July 13,
1944—6 p.m.
[Received July 13—4:30 p.m.]
[Received July 13—4:30 p.m.]
5529. For Department, Crowley and Stone, FEA, from Riefler. Reference Department’s 5420, July 10, midnight and 5454, July 12, noon.
[Page 580]- 1.
- MEW is convinced that procedure recommended in Embassy’s 5397 July 8, 5 p.m. is still correct procedure. It has already instructed its Minister in Stockholm to join Johnson as soon as he receives parallel instructions. It is now authorizing Mallet, in addition if Washington desires, to join with Johnson (a) to ask for an assurance that exports under unfilled 1944 quotas will not be permitted in 1945 and (b) to request that Swedes reply in writing. MEW feels that actual wording of aide-mémoire should be left jointly to Ministers in Stockholm.
- 2.
- For practical reasons MEW does not wish to include in present approach subject matter of last sentence in suggested aide-mémoire proposed by Department and FEA in their 5420 (1362 to Stockholm). They feel that it commits us more formally to negotiations for 1945 agreement than they care to be committed at this time and also that it may imply to Swedes that we expect a negative response to our request.
- 3.
- In view of approaching July 20 deadline Embassy urges that action be taken promptly. Tactics outlined above, to which MEW has agreed, appear to Embassy to be consistent with Stockholm’s position in Stockholm’s 2566 July 11 (1677 [677] to London). Embassy notes, however, that Stockholm would prefer a completely informal approach without a formal démarche. Embassy and MEW do not feel strongly on this matter and would go along with Stockholm’s suggestion should you so desire. If, however, you still attach importance to a formal démarche, seeking a written reply, an aide-mémoire in terms suggested in paragraph 1 and 2 above is agreeable to MEW and Embassy in London.
This message was repeated to Stockholm as Embassy’s 258, July 13. [Riefler.]
Winant