103.9169/12–1544: Telegram
The Minister in Sweden (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:30 p.m.]
5134. Yesterday the Germans informed the Swedish Legation at Berlin that the Gothenburg safe conduct traffic will be stopped January 1 if Swedish exports to Germany are not continued after that date.
If it should not be to the Allies’ interest to have this traffic stopped (Legation’s 5112, December 14, 2 p.m.35 1653 to London), Sohlman and Ståhle believe that the Swedish Government must now inform the German Government (a) that Swedish exports to Germany will not be stopped January 1 (b) that a German trade delegation is invited to come to Stockholm during the middle of January to discuss future German-Swedish trade and (c) that in interim pending the outcome of those negotiations direct trade between the two countries will continue. Foreign Office believes that it will be possible to put [Page 677] these talks off until the middle of January since the Christmas season in Sweden extends through January 6.
Sohlman and Ståhle further believe that the minimum which the Germans would agree to as a quid pro quo for the Gothenburg safe conduct traffic would be some form of compensation trade along the lines of the barter deals between Sweden and Denmark and Sweden and Norway. Its scope would be the minimum which in the judgement of the Stockholm JSC would suffice for the accomplishment of its purpose.
However, unless the Swedish Government is specifically requested by the Allies in their own interest to permit exports to Germany to continue at a token rate the Swedish Government will immediately upon the arrival of the Saturnus issue the notice that all trade with Germany has ceased. A certain result in the opinion of the Swedish Foreign Office would be the immediate stoppage of the Gothenburg safe conduct traffic.
My 1661 December 15, 6 p.m. repeats this to London.
- Not printed.↩