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SECRET
CHAPTER I
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE SWEDISH SCIENTIFIC EFFORT
1.
PHYSICAL PLANT
A detailed listing of the plant, buildings, apparatus, and layout of the Swedish
research effort has no place in this survey; general conclusions will be drawn, however.
a.
Advantage to USSR-Present
The USSR would gain distinct, but relatively small, advantage from the point
of view of science by overrunning Sweden at the present time. Guided-missile ranges
and installations probably lag far behind those of the USSR in numbers and capacities.
The same applies, in all probability, to all other scientific installations, with the possible
exception of: (1) the shale-oil beds with refining and uranium-extraction plants;
(b) the cyclotrons now being built; and (c) specialized physical-chemistry apparatus.
Soviet interest in items (a) and (b) will probably be in inverse ratio to their own
successes in the field of nuclear energy.
b.
Advantage to USSR-Future
No change in the situation outlined in a above is expected in the next five years,
beyond emphasizing that Sweden's nuclear development will appear commandingly
attractive or diminutively inconsequential depending on the USSR's own developments.
C.
Advantage to US-Present
The strategic questions here are: from the point of view of Swedish science
(as it affects and is bound with other factors), is there good reason for the US to attempt
to push Sweden off its dead-center neutrality? should the US, if a state of acute tension
arises, attempt to evacuate or destroy Swedish equipment and/or plant? or in such a
case should the US make a serious effort to maintain Swedish science as an effective
entity?
It is clear from the preceding sections that Swedish scientific facilities are
minuscule by US standards, with exceptions that are of minor importance strategically.
Consequently, from this narrow view, nothing is to be gained by forcing Sweden frankly
into the Western orbit. On the other hand, if the USSR should threaten imminently
it will probably be wise to make a serious effort to prevent the shale-oil installations,
the nuclear apparatus, and the physical-chemistry apparatus, at least, from falling
into Soviet hands. It will probably serve no useful purpose, technologically speaking,
to make vigorous efforts to keep the Swedish technological plant in operation.
d. Advantage to US-Future
No significant deviation from the above picture is expected within the next
five years.
2. HUMAN RESOURCES
This section is confined to remarks about Swedish scientific personnel.
a. Advantage to USSR- Present
The USSR would gain little from occupying Sweden at the present time insofar
as obtaining immediate scientific advancement is concerned. It is believed that no
useful effort would be contributed to the Soviet potential by the thoroughly nationalis-
tic, anti-communistic, although exceedingly able, Swedish cadre of scientists. In time,
3
SECRET
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"ocrText": "SECRET\nCHAPTER I\nSTRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE SWEDISH SCIENTIFIC EFFORT\n1.\nPHYSICAL PLANT\nA detailed listing of the plant, buildings, apparatus, and layout of the Swedish\nresearch effort has no place in this survey; general conclusions will be drawn, however.\na.\nAdvantage to USSR-Present\nThe USSR would gain distinct, but relatively small, advantage from the point\nof view of science by overrunning Sweden at the present time. Guided-missile ranges\nand installations probably lag far behind those of the USSR in numbers and capacities.\nThe same applies, in all probability, to all other scientific installations, with the possible\nexception of: (1) the shale-oil beds with refining and uranium-extraction plants;\n(b) the cyclotrons now being built; and (c) specialized physical-chemistry apparatus.\nSoviet interest in items (a) and (b) will probably be in inverse ratio to their own\nsuccesses in the field of nuclear energy.\nb.\nAdvantage to USSR-Future\nNo change in the situation outlined in a above is expected in the next five years,\nbeyond emphasizing that Sweden's nuclear development will appear commandingly\nattractive or diminutively inconsequential depending on the USSR's own developments.\nC.\nAdvantage to US-Present\nThe strategic questions here are: from the point of view of Swedish science\n(as it affects and is bound with other factors), is there good reason for the US to attempt\nto push Sweden off its dead-center neutrality? should the US, if a state of acute tension\narises, attempt to evacuate or destroy Swedish equipment and/or plant? or in such a\ncase should the US make a serious effort to maintain Swedish science as an effective\nentity?\nIt is clear from the preceding sections that Swedish scientific facilities are\nminuscule by US standards, with exceptions that are of minor importance strategically.\nConsequently, from this narrow view, nothing is to be gained by forcing Sweden frankly\ninto the Western orbit. On the other hand, if the USSR should threaten imminently\nit will probably be wise to make a serious effort to prevent the shale-oil installations,\nthe nuclear apparatus, and the physical-chemistry apparatus, at least, from falling\ninto Soviet hands. It will probably serve no useful purpose, technologically speaking,\nto make vigorous efforts to keep the Swedish technological plant in operation.\nd. Advantage to US-Future\nNo significant deviation from the above picture is expected within the next\nfive years.\n2. HUMAN RESOURCES\nThis section is confined to remarks about Swedish scientific personnel.\na. Advantage to USSR- Present\nThe USSR would gain little from occupying Sweden at the present time insofar\nas obtaining immediate scientific advancement is concerned. It is believed that no\nuseful effort would be contributed to the Soviet potential by the thoroughly nationalis-\ntic, anti-communistic, although exceedingly able, Swedish cadre of scientists. In time,\n3\nSECRET"
}