Office of the Historian

740.00112 EW/1–445: Telegram

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

London, January 6, 1945—6 p.m.
[Received January 6—2:52 p.m.]

193. For Department and Fleming47 FEA, from Strong.48 ReDepts 69, January 3,49 and reEmbs 161, January 5, repeated to Stockholm as our 14. At our request MEW is considering urgently the procedure for approval of particular transactions which Sweden desires to export to Norway and Denmark. British agree completely with us that en bloc approval for Norway and Denmark trade was not promised to Swedes and has never been contemplated. The only question at issue is whether reference of each export license to London and Washington is necessary. British will desire to scrutinize these transactions carefully, but they believe that reference of every small item will cause unnecessary delay. We are requesting MEW for prompt decision on this point. American intelligence and economic warfare experts here, including you, have examined Swedish lists which in their judgment are of no use to enemy war effort.

Winant
  1. John R. Fleming, Acting Director of the Special Areas Branch of the Foreign Economic Administration.↩
  2. Probable reference to William T. Stone.↩
  3. Not printed.↩