Evening star., 1941-04-14
Fortnight Envoy


Henrik de Kaufman has earned
a special niche for himself in the
diplomatic hall of fame. When he
came here in August, 1899, as Min
lister from Denmark, his job, he says,
was to represent free and demo-
cratic Denmark" He endeavored to
fulfill his mission with efficiency and
intelligence. But just year ago his
free and democratic country was
taken forcibly into bondage by the
German military machine. Nazi in
vaders descended upon the peaceful
Danes without warning, and as the
shadow of the swaStika fell across
their pleasant land, Danish freedom
and democracy disappeared. There
was no time for Denmark'S King or
other officials to transfer the seat of
their government, as other haraSSed
officials have done; hence Denmark'S
government Immediately came under
the control of Nazi Germany.
But if Denmark, for the time be-
ing, had lost her independence, her
Minister to the United States de-
cidedly had not lost his. Promptly
he determined that he would take
no orders dictated from Berlin, that
he would continue to represent his
t King and the Danish people as he
felt, down in his heart, they would
have him represent them-inde-
pendently and courageously, with
due regard for the best interests and
the honor of the liberty-loving
Danes. 1t was in that spirit that
Minister de Kaufman recently ig-
nored instructions from Denmark,
by way of Berlin, to protest against
the protective seizure of thirty-nine
Danish ships in American waters.
And it was with magnificent inde-
pendence and courage that Mr.. de
Kaufman last Wednesday signed an
agreement, on behalf of his hostage
King, to bring Greenland under the
protection of the United States dur
ing the war emergency. The Minister
acted without first consulting the
King or the Nazi- dominated Danish
government, because he knew they
were not free to speak their minds.
All communications, he realized,
must be routed through the Berlin
foreign office. So he signed first and
then sent the text of the agreement
to Copenhagen.
He expected the sequel which
has come. From Copenhagen, via
Berlin, he has received a curt recall,
signed only Foreign Office" In Ger
many an official spokesman declared
the Greenland pact to be illegal"
and it was stated darkly that Nazi
reaction" would follow that of the
Danish government. But Minister
de Kaufman says he will ignore
the recall order, that he will stand
by the agreement to which, solemnly
and in good faith, he affixed his
signature. Nor is the United States
apt to be much impressed by the
reaction" from Nazi sources. In
effect, this Government has recog-
nized the continued existence of the
free and democratic Denmark which
Minister de Kaufman was assigned
to represent and which he so forth
rightly Symbolizes today. Our pro-
tective occupation of Greenland,
with or without the consent of Nazi-
subiugated Copenhagen or of Berlin,
has warrant in the Monroe Doctrine,
as implemented by the Havana
agreement for hemisphere defense.
Nazi protestations of "illegality"
should be ignored as completely as
Minister de Kaufman ignores the
summons to return to his unhappy
homeland. And it is foregone con-
clusion that the State Department
will continue to recognize Henrik de
Kaufman as the representative of
the free Denmark which sent him
here nearly two years ago.