840.20/1–1749: Telegram

The Ambassador in Sweden (Matthews) to the Acting Secretary of State

top secret

63. Deptel 29, January 14, 7 p. m.1 I conveyed to Secretary General Beck Friis this morning views given Swedish Ambassador Washington. He said no report yet received from Boheman concerning that conversation. Beck Friis took down word for word what I told him which in addition to information in Deptel 29 contained pertinent excerpts from Department’s conversation with Boheman December 7.

His only comment was to ask meaning of the word “assistance”. He said Sweden had been purchasing materials for its arms industry and armed forces in the US with its own funds through normal trade channels. He wondered whether the word “assistance” applied also to such trade or primarily to American Government financial aid. I said that on the contrary as he realized we had a licensing system which involved export licenses and allocations for items in short supply and that I felt confident that the word “assistance” referred not only to financial aid but likewise to export licenses for such items. I added that in this connection Department had approved the personal views expressed to him by Cumming (Embtel 1331, December 3, 7 p. m.2).

(I took matter up with Beck Friis since he will see that our views are conveyed to interested quarters; Undén3 might just keep them to himself.)

The Foreign Relations Council composed of King, pertinent ministers and Riksdag Foreign Affairs Committee is meeting this morning to consider report of technical talks concluded at Oslo January 14.

Sent Department 63, repeated Oslo 17, Copenhagen 18, London 22.

Matthews
  1. Printed as telegram No. 17, January 14, to Oslo, p. 27.
  2. Foreign Relations, 1948, vol. iii, p. 299.
  3. Bo Östen Undén, Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs.