File No. 763.72112/2772
The Swedish Minister (Ekengren) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received August 1.]
My Dear Mr. Polk: Referring to my letter addressed to you under the date of July 211 and whereby I took the liberty to ask you if such would be agreeable to you, to kindly furnish me with some information as to the standpoint taken by the United States with regard to the so-called “blacklisting” by the English Government of certain American business firms, I herewith have the honor to inform you that I to-day have received from my Government a cable by which I am asked for information in this matter and wherein my Government expresses a great interest in the steps which in the near future may be taken by this country with a view of protesting against this measure or for the purpose of neutralizing by some other way the unfavorable effects it without doubt will have on American and other neutral commerce. At the same time my Government declares itself willing and ready, if such should be agreeable to the United States, to cooperate for the purpose of rectifying the unsatisfactory conditions which the English “blacklisting” undoubtedly has created.
Upon the receipt of this telegram it was my intention to immediately go down to Washington to personally have an interview with you on this subject, but the constant cold and rainy weather we have had here for over a week has given me a bad neuralgia [Page 426] which for the present makes traveling rather impossible for me. I therefore took the liberty of sending the following telegram to you in the hope that you would excuse my inability to come to you in person.
The Honorable Frank L. Polk [etc.]: Having an important communication for you from my Government and for the present not feeling well enough for immediately going to Washington, I venture to ask whether you would do me the great favor to receive my private secretary, Miss Hendrickson, who is perfectly posted in the matter and who has my instructions.
If this request be granted, kindly please let your secretary telephone the Legation to that effect under number North 802.
Very respectfully,
Hoping that you would see fit to grant my secretary the interview and to give the information desired by my Government in this matter, which will be more fully explained by Miss Hendrickson, I beg to remain [etc.]