757D.00/9–1448: Telegram
The Ambassador in Denmark (Marvel) to the Secretary of State
861. Foreign Minister told me last evening he was reasonably satisfied with accomplishments recent Scandinavian Foreign Ministers’ conference. Other than discussion of GA matters main accomplishment was agreement to study defense problem. This agreement reached with no conditions on Norway and Denmark to adhere to Swedish neutrality [Page 252] viewpoint. Two or three experts from military and Foreign Offices of each of three governments will investigate following:
- 1.
- Whether defense problem should be solved by military cooperation on service level only. Rasmussen explained this to me as meaning no obligations in form of treaty requiring any of three countries to declare war in event one were attacked.
- 2.
- Whether military treaty involving mutual obligations to declare war against any aggressor of any of three countries.
Report of this commission will be made to various governments on or before February 1, 1949. Rasmussen further told me he had insisted on February 1 deadline for reason that if satisfactory Nordic defense arrangement was not reached he was hopeful by that time US Congress would be considering legislation designed to aid militarily western European nations and of which Denmark could take advantage.
Rasmussen did not know who would succeed Unden as Swedish Foreign Minister but stated Swedes had given him impression they hoped for unilateral military guarantee from US which if forthcoming would insure adherence three northern countries to western bloc.1
Sent Department 861; repeated Stockholm 79, Oslo 50.
- Ambassador Matthews, in his telegram 1065 of September 17 from Stockholm, commented on this last sentence as follows: “Rasmussen is probably right in saying Swedes hope for unilateral military guarantee from US. If it is forthcoming, however, it is the one way to make sure Sweden at least would not adhere to western bloc . . . . To give any such ‘guarantee’ even in the most tenuous form would be contrary to all we are working for here” (858.20/9–1748).↩