740.00112 European War 1939/8–844: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
6263. Personal for the Ambassador. I want you to know that we all appreciate the efforts on your part which lie behind your 6311 and 631214 regarding an Anglo-American approach to Sweden.
It might be helpful to you to have an indication at this time of our plan of action with respect to this important matter: As stated in our 5491, July 13, we are determined to make every effort to eliminate all Swedish trade with the enemy and to this end are prepared to use all measures at our disposal. We are anxious, however, to go hand in hand with the British just as long as possible and with this in mind have agreed in the main to their proposals as regards the general line of our joint official démarche to the Swedes. On the other hand, we propose to exploit to the fullest extent the informal and unofficial conversations already initiated by Johnson on his own initiative with the Swedish Foreign Office and which parallel the similar conversation which Foot had with Hägglöf on July 5.15
We feel that we may be able to go further in presenting our view to the Swedes through the media of Johnson’s informal conversations than perhaps the British would be willing at this time to go in our joint official approach. I think it only fair to say, however, that if the Swedes do not respond quite promptly to the official Anglo-American approach, supported we hope by the Russians, and to the parallel but independent informal approaches which we and the British are making we may feel compelled to invite the British to go along with us with more drastic measures against Sweden, proceeding alone if British concurrence cannot be obtained. I sincerely hope, however, that this contingency will not arise.
With reference to your 6312 we do not at all minimize the importance of the Swedish decision to take steps to immobilize Swedish shipping in the Baltic; however, in taking this decision and in formulating their plans for putting it into full effect the Swedes show an overcautiousness which to my mind is not warranted at the present stage of the war. What this country expects and hopes to obtain [Page 599] from Sweden is not action which follows as a consequence of war developments but action which anticipates and helps to shape such developments and shorten the war.