SWEDEN GENTLEMAN SPY THE TALL, COLDLY HANDSOME SWEDISH AVIATOR WAS A FAMILIAR 
FIGURE ON THE WASHINGTON COCKTAIL CIRCUIT . AS SWEDISH AIR ATTACHE 
FROM 1952 TO 1957, HE IMPRESSED ONE U.S . AIR FORCE 
GENERAL AS " EASY AND OUTGOING, AN EXTRAVERT WHO GOT ALONG 
VERY WELL . " WEST POINTERS FOUND HIM " SPOONY " 
MEANING SUAVE . HE PLAYED A COOL, QUIET GAME OF GOLF 
AT THE ARMY-NAVY CLUB, HIS BALDING, WHITE-FRINGED HEAD BENT OVER HIS 
PUTTER AS GENERALS AND ADMIRALS CHATTED . HIS CONVERSATION WAS HARDLY 
MEMORABLE, EXCEPT THAT HE WORRIED ALOUD AND A LOT ABOUT RADICALS 
AND LEFTISTS . WHEN HE WENT HOME, THE U.S . GOVERNMENT 
PRESENTED HIM WITH THE CUSTOMARY LEGION OF MERIT FOR HIS " 
FURTHERANCE OF AMICABLE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE ROYAL SWEDISH AIR FORCE AND 
THE U.S . AIR FORCE . " LAST WEEK, AS COLONEL 
STIG ERIK CONSTANS WENNERSTROM, 56, AWAITED TRIAL AS A SOVIET SPY, 
IT WAS SUDDENLY CLEAR THAT HIS RELATIONSHIPS HAD BEEN MOST AMICABLE 
EAST OF THE IRON CURTAIN . WHAT DAMAGE ? WHEN SWEDISH 
AGENTS ARRESTED HIM, HE ADMITTED HE HAD BEEN ON THE SOVIET 
PAYROLL FOR A FULL 15 YEARS NOT ONLY AS AN AIR 
ATTACHE BUT AFTER 1957 AS CHIEF OF THE AIR SECTION IN 
THE SWEDISH MINISTRY OF DEFENSE, AND SINCE 1961 AS A FOREIGN 
MINISTRY CONSULTANT . THOUGH HE DREW ONLY $9,000 ANNUAL PAY, HE 
LIVED IN A $40,000 HOUSE IN STOCKHOLM'S EXCLUSIVE DJURSHOLM DISTRICT, AMONG 
BANK DIRECTORS AND DIPLOMATS, ENTERTAINED FREQUENTLY . MONEY WAS A MOTIVE 
(HE MAY HAVE EARNED AS MUCH AS $100,000 FOR HIS WORK), 
BUT ONE ACQUAINTANCE SAID : " HE MUST HAVE ENJOYED THE 
DANGEROUS GAME AND THOUGHT HE WAS INTELLECTUALLY BETTER THAN OTHERS . 
" WHAT DAMAGE COULD WENNERSTROM'S GAME HAVE DONE TO THE U.S., 
NATO, AND HIS OWN COUNTRY ? THOUGH SWEDEN IS NOT A 
NATO MEMBER, WENNERSTROM HAD CONTACT WITH DANISH AND NORWEGIAN MILITARY MEN, 
PROBABLY KNEW A LOT ABOUT THE NATO DEFENSES AND WEAPONS . 
HE ALSO KNEW SWEDISH DEFENSE SITES AND STRENGTHS, HAD ACCESS TO 
KEY MOBILIZATION AND COMMUNICATION PLANS . IN WASHINGTON, HE HAD ACCESS 
AMONG OTHER THINGS, TO DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE U.S . ARMY'S 
HAWK, RADAR-GUIDED ANTIAIRCRAFT MISSILE DESIGNED TO KNOCK DOWN LOW-FLYING SUPERSONIC PLANES 
. THE RUSSIANS ARE WORKING HARD TO PERFECT A DEFENSE AGAINST 
LOW-LEVEL NUCLEAR ATTACK, AND THE HAWK COULD HELP THEM . MORE 
PROOF ? SWEDISH MINISTER OF DEFENSE SVEN ANDERSSON WAS SUSPICIOUS OF 
WENNERSTROM FOR TWO YEARS PRIOR TO HIS ARREST, BUT PREMIER TAGE 
ERLANDER WAS NOT INFORMED UNTIL AFTER AGENTS HAD PICKED UP WENNERSTROM 
ON THE WAY TO HIS OFFICE . AS OPPOSITION CRITICS POUNCED, 
ERLANDER WENT ON TELEVISION TO EXPLAIN : " IT IS IMPOSSIBLE 
FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO BE INFORMED OF EVERY PERSON WHO IS 
UNDER SUSPICION . WE NEED MORE PROOF IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY 
BEFORE WE CAN TAKE ACTION . " IT SOUNDED LIKE A 
LAME EXCUSE TO LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, WHO DEMANDED A PARLIAMENTARY INVESTIGATION 
. MEANWHILE, ALWAYS THE GENTLEMAN, WENNERSTROM REPORTEDLY ASKED HIS ATTORNEY TO 
SEND BACK HIS LEGION OF MERIT, CALMLY FACED A PROBABLE LIFE 
SENTENCE FOR " GROSS ESPIONAGE . 