758.00/5–1148: Telegram
The Ambassador in Sweden (Matthews) to the Secretary of State
572. I stated in mytel 564,1 May 7 that the Swedish price for any Nordic military alliance would be the maintenance of strict neutrality by all three and I said that consequently such an alliance is not to our advantage. Mytel 5711 of today reports linden’s speech before Nordic Social Democratic Party congress in which he again emphasized Sweden’s adherence to neutrality and insisted point blank that any Scandinavian military alliance (which he conceded was worth considering) must be based on agreement by the three countries to stick to neutrality to the bitter end. Undén’s statement I find even more depressing than his February 4 Riksdag speech; it shows that events of the past months have taught him nothing and confirms as I have reported that any Swedish departure from neutrality must be over Undér’s dead body. I must repeat that I feel our influence in Norway and Denmark should be directed toward discouraging any Scandinavian alliance at the Swedish price. I also wish again to urge that Department call in Swedish Chargé and tell him in the frankest terms what we think of Swedish neutrality and what the cost will be to Sweden.
Sent Department 572; repeated Paris 148; London 145; Moscow 47, Pouched Oslo, Copenhagen.