857.01/47: Telegram
The Minister in Sweden (Sterling) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:31 p.m.]
641. Following telegram has been received from Oslo by Swedish courier:
402, June 15, 11 p.m. Reference my May 12, 10 a.m., Stockholm’s No. 512. Since my 394, June 12, noon, the question of the future administration of Norway under its constitution has taken a serious turn. According to a source I consider reliable and in this particular very well-informed, the German Reichs Commissioner has made the following demands on the Administrative Council to which the latter’s reply must be given him by the evening of June 17: The Council to declare itself as the government to [in?] Norway; the Storting to be assembled to confirm the Council’s declaration and to pass legislation deposing the King and removing the Crown Prince as his successor, giving the new government full powers with proviso for new Storting election to be held not later than 3 months after peace with Germany has been declared, striking from the roll of the Storting all of its members now abroad, and providing that any person taking issue with these legislative acts forfeits his position.
If the Council accepts the German demands the office of Reichs Commissioner will be changed to that of a plenipotentiary (voll-machtig) the present incumbent presumably to remain in this new capacity and a symbolic ceremony will be held before the Storting during which the German flag will be lowered and replaced by the Norwegian flag to signify to the country its recovery of “independence”.
If the demands are refused, my informant states that the Council was told that the German alternative for Norway is a protectorate [Page 172] or its incorporation in some form within the Reich. It is not believed that the Germans have mentioned Quisling in this connection although that possibility must still be kept in mind.
Although stunned by these precipitant demands the Council is endeavoring to negotiate with the Reichs Commissioner through a committee composed of Berg, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Bishop Berggrav, and representatives of the Ministry of Justice. I understand it is putting forward a compromise whereby the Storthing, not touching the matter of the Royal House, should declare the Nygaardsvold Government as no longer functioning and whereby a governmental commission should be formed consisting of the Administrative Council suitably enlarged to assume full powers of a government. There is reason to believe that the Council recognizing the gravity of the situation will go as far as it can to meet the Germans. My informant states that it is inconceivable, however, that the Council would agree or that the Storthing could be prevailed upon to depose the Royal family for the reason that there is apparently no constitutional provision for such a radical step.
There is little doubt but that popular feeling is one of respect for the King and Crown Prince but the responsible element here feels that they have put themselves in a most difficult position by fleeing the country with the now discredited Nygaardsvold Government. If the Germans insist on the deposition of the Royal House there is likely to be an impasse with unpredictable results. Yet as the Germans apparently wish to establish an outwardly independent Government, one removed from British influence, and as the Norwegians are making every reasonable effort under compulsion to comply there is still some possibility that a solution may be found.
I am reporting further developments through Stockholm by available couriers.