293.1111/9–751: telegrams
The Ambassador in Sweden (Butterworth) to the Secretary of State
313. As instructed, I saw FonMin today and handed him personally note embodying the msg contained in Depts circ 220 of Sept 5 [4]. He was aware of the difficulties which the Brit were facing, and having this problem in mind some days ago, had given Swed Amb in Peking discretionary auth to take up matter with Chi Commie auths at such time and in such way as he thought best. Unden1 said that the Peking auths had resented Swed acting as a msg carrier for UN during past Assembly session; that Swed had one national, technically a Swed citizen, who had been employed as an Amer journalist and was now in jail on espionage charges. This case wld furnish the Swed Amb an opportunity to approach the Peking auths in a matter in which Swed had a direct interest and generalize from that point of departure into representations re accepted internatl behavior.2
Incidentally, FonMin indicated Swed had cleared away existing cases of Swed missionaries desiring to leave China by refusing Chinese Commies transit visas from Copenhagen. Chi Amb here then in effect undertook to procure exit permits, providing the two actions were not formally linked. Swed accordingly gave transit visas and then Chi exit visas were also forthcoming.
- Östen Unden, Swedish Foreign Minister.↩
- Telegram 451 from Stockholm, October 5, 1951, not printed, reported that the Swedish Ambassador had used an opportunity on September 7, before he received information about Unden’s conversation with Butterworth, to urge the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister to have better treatment given to European and American nationals (293.1111/10–551).↩