740.00112A European War 1939/7039
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State (Acheson)
The Swedish Minister, Mr. Boström, called at his request. He told me that he had been instructed by his Government to protest against the extension of the Proclaimed List to include Swedish firms. He [Page 285] said that upon receipt of this instruction, he had reminded his Government that he had made a similar oral protest last summer at the time of the President’s proclamation creating the Proclaimed List and also reminded his Government that names upon our Proclaimed List did not go beyond the British list and included only firms which were subsidiaries of or agents for German companies. He had asked for permission to make an oral protest rather than a written one.
We discussed the matter briefly. The Minister said that he was sure each Government understood the position of the other; that he did not wish to inaugurate any controversy, but merely requested that I make a minute of his call for purposes of the record. He asked that no written reply be made.