740.00112 European War 1939/9–544
The Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs (Günther) to the Secretary of State and the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Eden)73
In reply to the joint message, addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the 24th of August 1944, Mr. Günther has the honour to forward the following statement to the Secretary of State of the United States of America and His Britannic Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Sweden has never left any doubts as to her policy during the present war. On the contrary the Swedish Government have repeatedly made clear their intention to maintain consistently their policy of neutrality announced from the beginning of the hostilities. Such a policy appears to the entire Swedish people as a natural and necessary basis for the preservation of their vital interests in a time of violent disturbances. At the outbreak of war, that policy of Sweden was indeed exactly the same as that of all democratic countries in Europe with which a comparison is possible to make. Since then several of them have, entirely against their will and in spite of all efforts to preserve peace, been drawn into the war by direct attack from Germany. There is every reason to believe, however, that should this not have been the [Page 636] case, these countries like Sweden would have pursued up to this very-day the policy of neutrality. Sweden considers herself entirely belonging to this group of democratic countries, whether they take part in the war or not.
The Swedish Government are also anxious to point out that they regard Sweden’s policy of neutrality as entirely justified also from the point of view of the general international obligations of this country. The Allied Governments doubtless have the best foundation for their statement that Sweden’s basic interests as a freedom-loving country lay in a victory for the United Nations. They will, however, certainly admit, that Sweden has not through her position of neutrality caused them any disadvantage as belligerents. Is it not, on the contrary, a fact that Sweden’s consistent policy of neutrality in connection with her clearly expressed intention to meet at any time, by force of arms, any attack against this neutrality, has been during the war to the advantage not only of Sweden but also of the Allies? On the other hand the Swedish Government as well as the Swedish people refuse to believe that the mere fact that Sweden has not been attacked by Germany could cause the Allied Powers to take a less confident or sympathetic attitude towards Sweden than would have otherwise been the case. In the wording of the message received there is in fact nothing to indicate the intention of the Allied Governments to induce Sweden to take part in the war. Neither has it been interpreted by the Swedish Government in that spirit but rather as the expression of the Allied Governments’ desire to do everything possible in order to shorten the war. It is hardly necessary to point out that it is the ardent wish also of the Swedish people that the war will soon come to an end. If only for this reason the Swedish Government must in their decisions take this point of view into the most serious account. Could, however, the policy of a neutral Sweden be said to influence at all the development of the war, this obviously only applies to Sweden’s trade with the belligerents. The following reference to this question has been made in the message that Mr. Günther had the honour to receive: “Already, because of direct military activities of the United Nations and because of the recent action of the Swedish Government in withdrawing Swedish shipping from Swedish-German trade, Germany’s ability to import goods from Sweden is being more and more restricted, and may soon be reduced to very small proportions”. As a matter of fact Sweden’s trade with Germany has already decreased to such an extent that it cannot be said to influence the duration of the war. A continued decreasing trend may be expected. The fact that this process has taken place and still takes place parallel and in conjunction with the development of the war can evidently not diminish its importance or consequences. [Page 637] A general change in Sweden’s political attitude towards Germany could not be expected to give any further contribution to the shortening of the war and should not need, if only for this reason, to be contemplated.
In these circumstances the Swedish Government—which obviously must reserve their right independently to decide their policy according to Sweden’s proper interests—wish in reply to the message received to refer to the statements made above. These statements should tend to show that the points raised in the Allied message are looked upon by the Swedish Government in a spirit of understanding and due consideration and that in all essentials the wishes expressed by the Allied Governments are and will be met by a continuation of Sweden’s present policy.
- Copy transmitted to the Department in despatch 4034, September 5, from Stockholm; received September 13.↩