Office of the Historian

740.00112 European War 1939/8–1044: Telegram

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

Washington, August 11, 1944—11 p.m.

6368. Your 6402, August 10.25 1. We have no objection to an Anglo-American warning supported if possible by the Russians, to the Swedes that we look to them to do everything possible to see that Swedish ships in Northern waters are not seized by the Germans.26

It must be understood, however, that we do not agree to any delay in the proposed formal joint approach to the Swedes beyond that reasonably necessary to give the Russians an opportunity to support such an approach. See our telegram to Moscow, repeated to London as Department’s 6264, our 626527 and our 6263.28

2. Riefler’s suggestion to delay the proposed approach to the Swedes relative to their joining the postwar shipping pool is approved. Appropriate instructions will be sent to our shipping representatives in London later.

Stettinius
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. The Minister in Sweden was instructed in telegram 1631, August 16, 1944, to join Mr. Mallet in delivering the above warning to the Swedish Government; Ambassador Harriman was instructed to request Soviet support as soon as the British Ambassador received similar instructions (740.00112 EW/8–1444).↩
  3. Same as telegrams 1886 to Moscow, and 1578 to Stockholm, p. 599.↩
  4. Dated August 8, 8 p.m., p. 598.↩