Imperial Valley press., 1939-04-24
Iceland Should
Be on FR'sList
BY CHARLES p. STEWART


other day listed thirty-one coun-
tries that ne said he wanted Hitler
and Mussolini to let alone for at
least the next ten years, he over
looked one or two bets. If he had
Mt he could have scored 80 or 33.
The same editions of the newspa-
pers that published the text of the
presidential appeal to Der Fuehrer
and II Duce also published dis
patches that Iceland is jittery over
what's regarded as the threat of a
German grab and that the repub-
lie of AndorTa is worrying lest
Italy make a sWipe at it by way
of Spain. To be sure. Iceland the
oretically belongs to Denmark and
the White House message to Ber-
lin and Rome did ask for an as
surance thai the Danes would be
left in peace. Still, the Icelanders
are semi-independent; they do
their own legislating and are about
as separate from the homeland as
ireland is separate from England.
And the President included Ire
land in his list, as distinct en-
tity. So why not Iceland, too?
| surmiSe that not many folks
here know where or what Andorra
is Well, it's a little nation ap-
prOximatelv the size of a Texas
county. and with $4,000 or 10000
population. astraddle the Pyranees,
between France and Spain. Oh, it's
small. but it's been a republic i'll
its own right since the days of
Charlemagne; he created it. It's as
much entitled to consideration as
Liechenstein, anyway, and the
President mentioned Liechenstein.
I suspect that he didn't think of
Andorra at all. If he had, he'd have
have a completer list. 1t would
have been longer more imposing
and perfectly accurate.
Fascist Agents Active
The IcelanderS complain that
German agents are snooping about
in their capital, Reykjayik, and
their opinion is that Herr Hitler
has an eye on their island. It's un-
derstandable that he may covet it.
It isn't worth much for itself alone.
Nevertheless it has fine fishing
waters roundabout it, AS a naval
and aviation base it would be ex-
ceedingly valuable to strike from
in the direction Of northern Scot
land and in the direction Of north
eastern Canada likewise. And it's
very conveniently accessible to
Germany's Baltic and North Sea
ports German occupation of it
would be a terrible nuisance to
the British IN time Of war. Indeed
those waters were a great anxiety
to the British during the world con-
flict.
Andorra hasn't Iceland's strategic
Importance If Italy really is in
control of Spain it's a menace to
southern France, of course, but re-
gardless Of Andorra, France and
Spain parallel one another most of
the way from the Mediterranean to
the Bay of Biscay. Andorra is Just
a little incident along the from
tier All the same, it was trouble
some little place when the Spanish
civil war was raging. Enough
Spanish rebels Clipped into its af-
faris so that French civil guards
took it more or less in hand. some
what in violation of the indepen-
dence Willed to it by Charlemagne.
Certainly it wouldn't want to be
g0bbled up by an Italianized Spain.
France wouldn't like it, either.
Iceland and Andorra aren't of
much consequence. it's true. Yet
isn't IL a heck Of A situation in
which the dCstinies Of such insigni-
ficant spots on the map are ieop-
ardized by present conditions? And
the President of the United States.
sizing matters up, forgets them en-
tirely2 Surely they're as significant
as Albania Albania, though, al
ready is water over the dam.
World War Outdone
Truth is the world war prospect
is outdone
The Scandinavian countries kept |
out Of that. Now Denmark is |
afraid it will lose Iceland. Perhaps |
Germany will take a notion to |
scoop in the Danes settlements in |
Greenland. It's supposed TO have
in mind the acquisition of Pata-
gonia. Japan is claiming uninhabit- |
ed French islands in the Oriental
seas. And now Italy is after in