Cablegram unnumbered 12 January 1940,
URGENT AND MOST SECRET
In view of the importance and possible repercussions of any
decision to take action in Norwegian territorial waters to cut off
German supplies of iron ore I earnestly request that no decision
should be taken by the United Kingdom Cabinet until the Dominions
have had an opportunity to express their views.
To enable these views to be formed I suggest that we should be
fully informed of the arguments in favour of and against the
proposed action and that we should be supplied with a summary of
any appreciation by the General Staff of the assistance that could
be rendered to Norway and Sweden in the event of the proposed
action leading to an attack by Germany on one or both of these
countries.
While I realise the significance of the iron ore export to Germany
my present disposition is to think that the suggested action would
have a bad effect in neutral countries and might present arguments
to Germany which she would not otherwise have. [1]
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1 This cablegram was repeated to S. M. Bruce, High Commissioner in
London, on 12 January 1940 with the preamble ‘Following on your
telegrams No. 27 and 28. Telegram in following terms has been sent
to Prime Minister’. (See copy on file AA: M100, January 1940.)
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[AA: A981, WAR 45B, ii]
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