859A.20/17

The British Embassy to the Department of State

The British authorities have been informed by Admiral Ghormley31 that the United States Government have decided to send a force to Iceland in the very near future.

The British authorities are not clear whether the United States Government have as yet made any communication on this subject to the Icelandic Government but on the assumption that the latter have so far been left in ignorance of the United States Government’s intentions, the British authorities feel that it would be preferable, for military and tactical reasons, that no advance information of the proposed despatch of United States forces should be given. The British authorities would suggest that the best course would be for the Icelandic Government to be presented with a fait accompli as was the case when the British troops occupied Iceland.

If the United States Government equally feel that it would be undesirable to disclose their intentions beforehand to the Icelandic Government, it would nevertheless seem necessary for the Icelandic authorities to be informed and for some public announcement to be made, either when the United States troops actually land or very shortly before the landing takes place. Furthermore, it seems very important that in any action which may be taken in this direction, the United States and British Governments should speak with the same voice. The United States Government have no doubt already taken this aspect of the matter into consideration and His Majesty’s Government would be very grateful to learn how the United States authorities feel that the question should be dealt with.

The British Government venture to suggest for the consideration of the United States authorities that one method of dealing with the matter—based on the analogy of what was done when the British forces occupied Iceland—would be for the United States Consul31a and the British Minister31b in Reykjavik to make oral communications to the Icelandic Prime Minister32 and for simultaneous statements on the subject to be issued to the press in the United States and in Great Britain. These statements, it is suggested, might perhaps be somewhat on the lines of the following paragraphs, the first of which is [Page 777] based on various passages in the President’s radio address of May 27th.33

“It is the declared policy of the United States to keep Hitlerism away from any points in the world which could be used and would be used as bases of attack against the Americas. Iceland constitutes one of these points and its occupation by the Nazis would involve an immediate threat to the United States. It would also gravely menace the delivery of supplies to Britain which the United States in conformity with the ancient American doctrine of freedom of the seas and the declared intention to render all possible aid to the democracies in the fight against Hitlerism, are determined shall be delivered.

“For these reasons and in order to relieve Britain of the task of protecting a friendly and neutral country from being added to the list of victims of Nazi aggression, the United States Government have decided, in concert with His Majesty’s Government, to assume direct responsibility for the defence of Iceland and gradually to relieve the present British garrison by stationing United States troops in the island.”

The British authorities also suggest for the consideration of the United States Government that it might be desirable to add to the above-mentioned statement something to the effect that the United States Government declared it to be their intention not to interfere in the internal administration and economic life of Iceland beyond what might be necessary to ensure the security of the garrison, which would be withdrawn when the democracies had won the war against Hitlerism. A similar assurance was given by His Majesty’s Government at the time of the British occupation and it might be desirable for it to be repeated again in order to relieve any possible apprehensions on the part of the Icelandic population.

  1. Vice Adm. R. L. Ghormley, Chief of Special Mission to the United Kingdom.
  2. Bertel Eric Kuniholm.
  3. C. Howard Smith.
  4. Hermann Jonasson.
  5. For text of address, see Department of State Bulletin, May 31, 1941, p. 647.