Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, General: Political and Economic Matters, Volume II

800.515/4–1045: Telegram

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

London , April 10, 1945—8 p.m.
[Received April 10—7:40 p.m.]

3666. Reurtels 2607 and 2608 and 2609, April 4.⁵¹ 1. Stone discussed with Foot Swedish Safehaven negotiations with following results:

(a) Foot agreed with Department’s 2607 and accordingly British are sending paraphrases of Department’s 2607 and 2608 to Stockholm with instructions to their Minister to concert with his United States colleague in approach to Swedish Government along lines of these two telegrams.

(b) Foot was in general agreement with Department’s 2608 and his only comment was a comparatively minor one on paragraph 3(b) thereof. He felt that second sentence of paragraph 5 of Department’s 1730, March 7⁵² was too broad and that instead of asking for information regarding all movements since 1939, it might be preferable to confine our request to limited categories of information.

(c) Foot thought that a more effective approach to Russians and French than that suggested in Department’s 2609 would be to have our Missions in Moscow and Paris deliver communications, in general terms, to the Russian and French Governments. Such general communications should indicate our Safehaven aims and general approach to Swedes and leave it to the Russian and French Governments to comment or request participation. If French desired to participate in Stockholm negotiations, British would feel compelled to accept French participation. British urgently desire American views on this point.

2. Embassy believes that British reactions to Department’s 2607 and 2608 mark most satisfactory progress towards American views and that suggested difference in tactics in approaching Russians and French should not delay our joint approach to Swedes along lines of Department’s 2607 and 2608.

3. Foregoing is limited to approach to Swedes. Embassy will discuss with British Safehaven approach to Spaniards and if any substantial divergences are disclosed, Foot can discuss them in Washington where he should arrive on April 16.⁵³

4. Repeated to Stockholm and Madrid.

Winant

51. Telegram 2609 not printed, but see footnote 44, p. 870.
52. See footnote 21, p. 862.
53. Mr. Foot was a member of the United Kingdom delegation to the United Nations Conference on International Organization, held at San Francisco, April 25–June 26, 1945.