Office of the Historian

859.01/136a: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)

Washington, March 18, 1944—10 a.m.

2048. We have carefully considered the proposals regarding Denmark contained in Warner’s letter to Gumming of January 17, a copy of which is understood to have been given to Gallman. The matter has been briefly discussed with Kauffmann, while Gallop when here also talked with him in respect thereto. In general, the Department favors the British suggestions and desires that you so orally inform the Foreign Office. At your discretion you may offer to collaborate in the drafting of the declaration on Denmark and the accompanying message to the King. In any case, you should furnish the Foreign Office with our observations as expressed hereunder:

1.
We do not feel that the declaration should confer on Denmark the status of a Nation associated with the United Nations, which is a category now including countries (except Argentina) which have broken relations with the Axis but have not declared war. Kauffmann has expressed the same view. In the absence of a Danish Government, it is impossible for Denmark to adhere to the United Nations Declaration.8 Accordingly, it is thought that recognition of this fact should be made in the declaration, followed by a statement to the effect that the Danes are inspired by the same ideas as the peoples of the United Nations and we, therefore, consider them as allies in all but name. Such a formula, it is felt, would achieve the same objective as that set forth in Warner’s letter.
2.
Every effort should be made to avoid in drafting the declaration the use of terminology which might be interpreted as empowering Danish representatives abroad to become full members of United Nations sponsored organizations such as UNRRA.9
3.
It is assumed that the British, like we, continue to be opposed to the formation of any Danish Government in exile. It is, therefore, suggested that the declaration should be so worded as to convey clearly to the Danes that this action is not to be interpreted as a preliminary step toward the establishment of a Free Danish Committee.
4.
We are opposed to the inclusion in the declaration of any mention of the Danish London Council or other Free Danish organizations abroad. As you will recall divergence of views on this point led to a breakdown in the conversations which we held with the British last September on the proposed Roosevelt–Churchill statement on Denmark.10 In lieu thereof, a general statement along the following lines might prove satisfactory:

“The contributions which the Danish people both at home and abroad are making toward the cause of the United Nations are well known and deserve the highest commendation.”

5.
Although naturally desirable, we consider the closing of the Danish Legation at Berlin to be of secondary importance. Furthermore we not only feel that neither the King in his present position as a German prisoner nor Svenningsen11 possesses the power to take such action, but also that any step in that direction would enhance Denmark’s difficulties vis-à-vis the Germans without compensating advantages. Thus to make the issuance of the declaration conditional upon the closing of the Legation would, in effect, nullify in advance the whole proposal.
6.
As a point of departure, we feel that the text of the proposed declaration on Denmark of September 1943 might be utilized in the preparation of the new declaration.

So far as procedure is concerned, the Department desires that the following be observed:

1.
The proposed texts of the declaration and message should be submitted to the Department for its consideration.
2.
Once the texts have been approved by the Department and the Foreign Office, they should be submitted to the Russians for their consideration. Thereafter the Norwegians should be informed of the course of action which we will take.

You are requested to keep the Department fully informed in respect to your conversations on this subject with the Foreign Office and obtain its views regarding the manner in which it is proposed that the declaration be issued. It is possible that the Foreign Office views may be affected by conversations with de Kauffmann after he arrives in London. We are informing Moscow.

Hull
  1. Signed at Washington, January 1, 1942, Foreign Relations, 1942, vol. i, p. 25.↩
  2. United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration.↩
  3. See memorandum by the Secretary of State, September 4, 1943, Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. ii, p. 12.↩
  4. Nils T. Svenningsen, Director of the Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.↩