Evening star., 1941-07-07
Text of Iceland Message
President Explains to Congress Reasons
For Occupation by U. S. Naval Forces
Ry the Associs tea Press.

The terts OF President Roosevelt S
! special message to Congress and the
diplomatic correspondence on the
occupation OF Iceland tolloW'
l am transmitting herewith for
the information of the Congress a
message l received from the Prime
Minister of Iceland on July l and
the reply I addressed on the same
day 10 the Prime Minister of Iceland
in response to this message.
In accordance with the under
standing so reached, forces of the
United States Navy have today ar
rived in Iceland in order to supple
ment, and eventually to replace, the
British forces which have until now
been stationed in Iceland in order to
insure the adequate defense of that
country.
AS I stated in my message to the
Congress of September 3 last re-
garding the acquisition of certain
naval and air bases from Great
Britain in exchange for certain
overage destroyers, considerations Of
safety from overseas attack are
fundamental.
Can't Permit German Occupation.
The United States cannot permit
the occupation by Germany of
strategic outposts in the Atlantic
to be used as air or naval bases
for eventual attack against the
Western Hemisphere. We have no
desire to see any change in the
present sovereignty of those regions.
Assurance that such outpoStS in
our defense frontier remain in
friendly hands is the very founda-
ton of our national security and
of the national security of every
one of the independent nations OF
the new world.
For the same reason substantial
forces of the United States have
now been sent 10 the bases acquired
last year from Great Britain in
Trinidad and in British Guiana in
the south in order to forestall any
pinCerS movement undertaken by
Germany against the Western Hem
isphere 1t is essential that Ger
many should not be able success
fully to employ such tactics through
sudden seizure of strategic points
in the South Atlantic and in the
North Atlantic
Three DimenSional Threat.
The occupation of Iceland by Ger
many would constitute serious
threat in three dimensions:
The threat against Greenland and
the northern parr Of the North
American continent. including the
islands which lie off it
The threat against the steady flow
the North Atlantic
The threat against the seady flow
of munitions to Britain-which is
matter of broad policy clearly ap-
proved by the Congl ess.
1t is therefore imperative that the
approaches between the Americas
and those strategic outposts, the
safety of which this country regards
as essential to its national security,
and which it must therefore defend,
shall remain open and free from
all hostile activity or threat thereof.
Will Insurce Defense.
AS commander in chief l have sub
sequently issued oraers to the Navy
that all necessary steps be taken
to insure the safety of communica-
tions in the approaches between
Iceland and the United States as
we'll as on the seas between the
United States and all other strategic
outposts.
This Government will insure the
adequate defense of Iceland, with
full recognition of the independence
of Iceland as a sovereign state.
In my message to the Prime Min
lister of Iceland I have given the
people of Iceland the assurance that
the American forces sent there
would in no way interfere with the
internal and domestic affairs of that
country. and that Immediately upon
the termination of the present in
ternational emergency all American
forces will be at once Withdrawn.
leaving the people of Iceland and
their government in full and SOW
ereign control of their own terri