740.00119 Council/10–548
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
| Participants: | Secretary Marshall |
| Foreign Minister Rasmussen, of Denmark | |
| Mr. Hayden Raynor1 |
Mr. Gustav Rasmussen, Foreign Minister of Denmark, called on me this noon at his request.
Refugees
Mr. Rasmussen first referred to the clearing up of the refugee problem which has been plaguing Denmark since the end of the war, and expressed his appreciation for our assistance in receiving a quota of these refugees. He said that he had worked out a satisfactory arrangement with the French, but, to date, had been unsuccessful in making arrangements with the Russians. The Russians have told the Danes that they would have to be satisfied that no Soviet citizens were being held in Denmark. Apparently some Baits are in Denmark.
Greenland
The Foreign Minister then raised the subject of Greenland, and expressed appreciation for our cooperation in turning certain facilities [Page 590] over to the Danes. He added that anything more along this line which could be done would be most helpful in Denmark. He said there was a certain airfield where there was little activity, and the importance of which to us, he thought, was small, which he hoped might be turned over to Denmark. I promised the Foreign Minister I would look into the question of this airfield.
I spoke earnestly to the Foreign Minister on the danger which Greenland represented to the security of the United States from the air if held in hostile hands. I pointed out that the very industrial heart of the United States, as well as that of Canada, would be endangered. I said our interest therefore, all from the angle of security, was to insure arrangements which would prevent the island from falling into hostile hands. I said I knew he would agree that the Danes by themselves could not insure against this danger. I said to the Foreign Minister that some time ago I had asked our experts in the Department of State, and in our military establishment, to try to develop a plan which would provide this very necessary insurance to us and which, at the same time, would be acceptable in Denmark. I said that I had hoped to have a draft of this plan with me but that it had not been given to me before my departure from Washington. The Foreign Minister made no comment during this part of the conversation.
[Here follows a discussion of the relationship of a Scandinavian defense arrangement to a broader North Atlantic security agreement. For documentation on this subject, see pages 1 ff.]
- Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of European Affairs.↩