SWEDISH SPY: EASY TO GET U.S. SECRETS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000800040044-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 10, 1999
• Sequence Number: 44
• Publication Date: May 26, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2000/08/03 : CIA-R
NEW nn T"
JOURNAL AM RICAN MAY 2 6 1954
STATINTL
STOCKHOLM, May 26 (AP).-Col.: Stig Wenner-
strom has testified that, as a spy-for the Russians, he
had no difficulty in collecting information about U.S.
defense industries.
"It was easy to get informa-
. 'tion if you indicated you were
'interested in buying," the 57-
year-old airman-diplomat de-
dared in secret proceedings
Thade public in part today.
"This was no problem for me
S' I made purchases ? for the
Stvedish Air Force. . The Air
arce bought a great deal of
((iaterial from _ the United
Jtates and I visited many coun-
tries. It was easy to make Con-
tact with the top executives."
He was Sweden's air attache
in Washington from 1952 to
1957.
Wennerstrom said, informa-
tion on Polaris submarines was
among material he turned over
,Atlantic . Treaty Organizatie?n
for 14 years. Tried only for re-
laying Sweden's defense secrets
to the Russians, he is to hear,
'the verdiot Julie 12,
RECORD RELEASED
In an open court session May
15 he said he acted from "ideal-
istic motives." The prosecution
demanded that he be sentenced
; to life imprisonment. His de-
fense counsel?sugegsted 12 years
in prison.
Parts of the records, of- the.
to Moscow.
Wennerstrom has admitted
spying against his homeland,
the United States and the North
police investigation and inter-
rogation released ttday eovcred
900 of a total of 3,700 pages.
The rest is marked secret and
probably will never be pub-
lished.
Wennerstrom said he was not
the only top spy in the Swrd
ish defense system. 'He said
another colonel, now dead;
worked as an e :Tent for the
United States.
The name o ithe,colonel was
not made public,.
Approved For Release 2000/08/03 : CIA-RDP75-00149Rd00800040044-5
 Approved For Release 2000/08/03 : CIA-RDP75-0014
CkU USTIAIN SCIENU MAY 19-1954
MQ1NITOR'
h ''4 Aria aum
jjy ucorge Lmnrco impaired officials are wonder. made to smooth over an em
Special to The Chrlslfan science Monitor ing ? what effect the trial will barrassing situation.
Stockholm have on Soviet Premier Nikita Observers point out that.
Several important questions S. Khrushchcv's June visit and Premier Tage Erlander's" gov-
have risen out of the espionage next fall's .parliamentary elec- ernment has very adroitly
tions. scheduled Mr. Khrushchev's
trial of Swedish Air-Force Col. Colonel Wennerstroem has visit for the middle of the
Stig Wennerstroem. stated that he spied not only summer ? vacation period
In addition to the question against Sweden but also when politics is the last thing
of how 'seriously Western and against the United States and Swedes have on their minds:
Swedish defenses have, been the North Atlantic Treaty. Or-. Had it been a few weeks later
ganization. He has stressed when the country was coming
that "Sweden was no primary back to life and in a fighting
target,'' and-that his espionage mood for the fall election, the
was mainly directed against Socialist leader might have felt
the Western Alliance. more of the opposition's sting.
Motivations Described Effect on Elections
He has asserted that his mo- Mr. Erla9der has shown no
tivations were "idealistic, aimed signs of being concerned
at preserving the peace and about the effects of the Wcn-
power balance of the world." nerstroem scandal in the fall!
The court case involves only elections. In fact; he used the
Colonel Wennerstrocm's re- recent May Day celebrations'
ported espionage against Swe- to tell the opposition parties-
den over a 14-year period. The the Conservatives, the .-Lib-!
prosecution has charged that ' et'als, and the Central Party
the Air Force officer turned that if they wanted a knock-
over 160 top defense secrets down, drag-out fight over , it
of Sweden to the Soviet Gov- he was prepared for them. He
ernment. told his audience that the ob-
He said that Colonel Wen- position apparently intended
nerstroem started his spy to use the disloyalty' of one
career for the Germans i;t man to-tar an entire govern
World War II, then switched 'liient.
to the Soviets after Stalingrad!. The Conservative press im-
The prosecutor said vanitf', medi:itely replied that the op-
hunger for prestige, and money position parties .were doing
were the motives. nothing more than their duty
Emotions cool in a democracy by criticizing
ere have thus far ba government which had obvi-
Th
n There indications that t fa es been ously fallen down somewhere
in protecting itself and the
nage case will force the ranppl
_
lation of Mr. Khrushchevs cou`~ti '
which forced cancellation o! his "'" au important newspaper
1919 S once canoe trip only a took voice of the Central Party,
few days before he ws to ar- ' a much mpreg that restrained
rive have considerably cooled' position, f tthetin re-l' the general -thawing of thed government -was ensu -was ensured
ces j
East-West relations.
When Soviet Foreign Minis. tgationrof and the~charges ~and
for Andrei A. Gromyko visited countercharges.
Sweden late last March to pave ? Reuters reports that on
the way for Mr. Khrushchev's Thu;?sc]ay "Sweden's Parlia-
visit, the Wennerstroem affair, mentary Constitutional Com-
rwas well known to politicians mittee recommended the cen-
of all parties. Yet Mr. Gromyko suring of former Foreign Min-
received an extremely cordial ister Oesten Unden for his part
reception, and every effort was In the Wennerstroem affair.
les
Approved For Release 2000/08/03 : CIA-RDP75-00149R000800040044-5