740.00112 European War 1939/8–2144: Telegram
The Minister in Sweden (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 222:58 a.m.]
3217. My 3216, August 21, midnight. Mallet and I had a conference this evening with Madame Kollontay regarding the joint approval [Page 621] of [approach to?] the Swedes. Madame Kollontay said that the instructions she had received were to support the British Minister and myself in the joint démarche we were to make. She said, however, that she strongly held the view that to make this démarche with its pressure for political action on the part of Sweden immediately after the Swedish action in withdrawing ships from trade with Germany was badly timed from a psychological point of view and in her opinion almost certain to meet with a flat refusal. She said that in her view there was no possibility of anything but a negative reply from the Swedish Government before Swedish shipping had been repatriated from Germany (see my 3213 [3212], August 21, 7 p.m.;54 920 to London). She thought that if this démarche were made immediately following the repatriation of Swedish ships in the German trade in mid-September, there might be a chance that the Swedes would yield and take the action which the proposed démarche is designed to effect. She remarked that she had had some 14 years of close and intimate dealings with the Swedish Government on many occasions where the issue was sharply drawn; that she had the certain conviction that the Swedes could not be made to do things “all at once”; that the only hope of getting desired action from them was to make it possible for them to proceed by degrees. (This procedure has frequently been urged upon me and members of my staff by influential officials of the Government, who are the undoubted friends and advocates of our cause, as the only practicable way of getting expeditious action out of the Swedish Government). She said that she has telegraphed to her Government her view that the démarche comes at the wrong moment and that if now made it will be refused, expressing the opinion that it should be made at moment more propitious for success. She has not yet had a reply to this message. She said however that if the American and British Governments proceed with their present plan for an immediate démarche and Mallet and I act accordingly, that she will give it her full support under her present instructions.
Madame Kollontay also said that she thought it would be a serious mistake for the proposed joint message from the Secretary and Mr. Eden to the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs coming immediately after the Swedish withdrawal of all Swedish shipping Germany not to take some cognizance of this fact, particularly as the message is a personal one from the two Secretaries of State to the Swedish Foreign Minister. It was suggested that in the 4th sentence from the end beginning “already because of direct military activities of the United Nations, et cetera” there be inserted immediately between the words “nations” and “Germany’s” an expression to the following effect “and by the recent action of Sweden in withdrawing Swedish [Page 622] shipping from the Swedish-German trade”. Mallet expressed his agreement with this suggestion and is telegraphing the recommendation tonight to London that the message be so amended. I think Madame Kollontay’s point is well taken and Department’s urgent instructions are requested.
- Not printed.↩