740.00112 European War 1939/10265: Telegram
The Minister in Sweden (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 24—8:11 p.m.]
631. Reference Department’s 1272 and 1273, February 19, midnight to London.41 Boheman handed me this afternoon a memorandum dated today in reply to memorandum of January 22 in which we reiterated our request to Government of Sweden to restrict its exports to Germany of iron ore to 200,000 tons in any 1 month and to 488,000 tons in first quarter 1944. This memorandum which explains in considerable detail Swedish position is in net effect a rejection of our request. It is emphasized that Swedish-German trade agreement was negotiated on basis of Swedish declaration in Anglo-American-Swedish trade agreement; Swedish declaration did not foresee any special limitation of iron ore exports except 7.5 million tons level for whole year 1944 and the fixed relation between coal or coke and iron ore, nor does Swedish German trade agreement foresee any such special limitation. Swedish Government, therefore, maintains that it would not be in conformity with this latter agreement if any such new limitations were enforced and Swedish Government [garbled group] of further limitation put forward by Allied Governments.42 It is stated, however, that on other hand Swedish Government has no intention whatever to facilitate iron ore exports. In this respect it is observed that German purchases of iron ore in Sweden are restricted not only by quotas of deliveries fixed in accordance with Swedish declaration [Page 474] of 1943, but also by Swedish demands for prompt repayment of all credits outstanding. It is further mentioned that Swedish exporters do not ship any iron ore until full payment is received and that this should also contribute to prevent any undue speeding up of iron ore deliveries.
With reference my 613, February 23, 7 p.m.44 memorandum just received furnishes revised statistics indicating that total Swedish exports of iron ore to Germany in 1943 was 10, 105,990 tons, since it has been discovered that 135,701 tons of previous total given were shipped from Narvik stocks built up out of 1942 exports.
Full summary of note will be telegraphed tomorrow45 and repeated to London.
My 133 repeats this to London.
- Neither printed.↩
- A copy of the original text of the garbled portion of the memorandum, transmitted to the Department in despatch 2913, February 26, from Stockholm, reads as follows: “It would therefore not be in conformity with this latter Agreement if any such new limitations were enforced. In view of this fact the Swedish Government do not see their way to accept the proposals of a further limitation put forward by the Allies.” (740.00112 European War 1939/10384)↩
- Not printed.↩
- Telegram 634, not printed.↩