Evening star., 1941-07-07
Iceland
Continued From FIRST Page

purposes wherever required and
sion is made for the United States
to undertake the defense OF the
country
President Roosevelt informed him
that the conditions he set out are
fully acceptable to this Govern
ment and that it would give him
pleasure TO ask Congress TO agree
to the exchange of diplomatic rep
resentatives between our two coun-
tries
Todays action followed by a few
weeks the assumption by this coun-
try OF the protection of Greenland,
a Danish colony. In that instance.
however. the agreement was made
with the Danish Minister here as
representative of the King OF Den
mark, whose sovereignty over Green
land was recognized and there was
no recognition OF the independence
of Greenland as there was Iceland.
Naval Forces Not Specified.
There was no indication Just what
naval forces had moved into the
North Atlantic island. nor whether
they would be supplemented by
troops.
Mr.. Roosevelt did not indicate,
either. whether similar action might
be taken against other possible
stepping of points for possible
German attack on the Western
Hemisphere.
But he has spoken of dangers
which might be inherent in any
NaN control of such points as Daksr
on the west coast OF Africa and OF
the Cape Verde and Azores Islands.
which are Portuguese. and the Ca
nary Islands. which are Spanish.
Unofficially there was speculation
that marines constituted the van
guard of American forces. The Navy
declined to amplifv the Presidents
words.
The message from the prime min
ister of Iceland 10 Mr.. Roosevelt
used the word troops" when refer
ring to United States forces which
would take over defense of the
island. This general term could en-
brace armed forces of sny character,
the Army as well ss the Navy and
marines.
British Force Undisclossd.
Officials would not disclose how
large a force Britain had duartered
in Iceland. Sailors on merchant
ships that had stopped there once
estimated last December that there
were 10000 British on the island. but
there has been no official conf1rma-
ton.
While the President has hesitated
to draw definite boundary line
for the Western Hemisphere, some
administrat ation officials have said
that Iceland was outside OF the
Western Hemisphere. The line OF
demarcation, as these sources out
lined it, passed between Greenland
and Iceland
Now the United States for the
first time has taken over the actual
protective duties heretofore carried
out by British troops. This Will free
the British for service elsewhere.
Britain Takes Iceland Year Ago.
Great Britain took Iceland into
protective custody in May, 1910 at
the time of the German invasion OF
the Low Countries, to prevent the
Nazis from using the island.
In May of this year the Parma
ment of Iceland dissolved its union
with Denmark which had existed
since 1918 and a temporary chief OF
state was appointed to take the
place of King Christian, who re-
manned in Denmark when that ma
ton was occupied by Germany.
Iceland had been 4 part of Den
mark since 1880 but became SOW
ereign state only in 1918.
Germany included Iceland in her
sphere of Atlantic war operations
and warned navigators last March
against approaching its shores.
Seamen returning from Iceland
last December reported that the
British forces occupying the coun-
try numbered about 10000 British
and Canadian soldiers and that the
13o. 900 natives were all busy sup
plying herring and other fish to
ENGLAND