740.00112A European War 1939/28878: Airgram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
A–611. Reference your A–203, March 29,23 in which you request the Department’s position with respect to the proposal of MEW24 to place on the Statutory List persons hereafter becoming directors of listed firms or of newly-established firms which are obviously under enemy control or are formed to further enemy interests. The Department understands that this proposal is made for the purpose of thwarting Axis efforts to give prestige and respectability to firms which are acting on their behalf or which are being formed to carry out Axis interests and the Department would, therefore, be prepared to place on the Proclaimed List any persons who were added to the Statutory List on this basis. The Department also believes that it would be desirable for the local missions to make such discreet announcement of this policy as they might deem wise.
The Department has received no indication that there is a problem in the South American countries in this connection and, therefore, does not believe that any announcement of this policy there would be desirable.