160. Letter From the Ambassador in Sweden (Cabot) to the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Merchant)2
Dear Livie:
[4 paragraphs (2 pages of source text) not declassified]
There are a number of other indications that something unusual is cooking. The way the Swedes have acted and have helped us in the Malmo diversion affair (Embtel 762 of March 10 and previous)3 is, if I understand the matter correctly, unprecedented, and the favorable Swedish action was referred to by Brunnström [1 line of source text not declassified]. The act of the Foreign Office in handing us a list of the delegates to the WPC meeting in November is a rather unusually friendly gesture. The action of the Swedish police in springing the trap on the Communist spy ring as they just have (Embtel 771 of March 12)4 may also be part of the picture. [10½ lines of source text not declassified]
There have been a number of other indications recently of quite unusual friendliness [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] on the part of the Swedish authorities. It is true that, on an over-the-table basis, Unden’s speech was not helpful.5 I increasingly suspect, however, that its tone was determined precisely by Unden’s realization [Page 474] that Sweden was about to take a number of actions unfavorable to Communist interests and that he wanted to give them no furher cause for complaint on the basis of his speech. If that is the explanation, we have no reason to be dissatisfied. I doubt that many Swedes were swayed by Unden’s speech to be less friendly towards or more critical of the United States, whereas the lurid publicity about the Commie spy ring which is filling every Swedish newspaper is bound to revivify anti-Communist and pro-Western feeling.
[5½ lines of source text not declassified]Speaking as civilian strategists, we believe that it continues to be in our national interest that Sweden be militarily strong even though it is not our ally (NSC 121 of January 8, 1952 “Position of United States with Respect to Scandinavia and Finland”).6 [11 lines of source text not declassified]
[1 paragraph (11 lines of source text) not declassified]
Finally, it might be pertinent to mention now my own vaguely formulated plans. I have been hoping for some months, if the situation permitted, to return to the United States about May 15 in order to see my daughter graduate from Radcliffe on June 15. I must return that very evening to Stockholm, if possible, in order to be here for the Philadelphia Symphony concert on June 16. It occurs to me that such a trip home would give me an opportunity to discuss this matter at length in Washington after the people there have had a chance to think it over in all its angles. I hasten to add that I am not suggesting that the Department pay my way there and back. I merely hope that the Department will permit me to return home at that time and will charge to consultation, rather than my annual leave, any time that I spend in Washington discussing this problem.
With every good wish,
Very sincerely yours,
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 758.5/3–1455. Top Secret. According to handwritten notes on the source text, copies of this letter were sent to S/AE and BNA. Merchant wrote on the source text: “This is very interesting—pls keep me informed of your progress in considering it. L 3/18”.↩
- Reference is to the Swedish Government’s refusal to grant a license for the export of certain contraband items; documentation on this case is ibid., 454.418.↩
- Not printed. (Ibid., 749.5258/3–1355)↩
- In his speech of March 9, during the annual foreign policy debate in Parliament, Foreign Minister Östen Undén blamed the West for the tensions between East and West. A report of this speech is in telegram 756 from Stockholm, March 9. (Ibid., 758.21/3–955)↩
- For text of NSC 121, see Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol VI, Part 2, p. 1758.↩