Evening star., 1941-04-13

German occupation was completed
early in the morning of April 9,
1910, when they were all asleep. 1t
would be bold move for the United
States to recognize Mr.. De Kauff-
mann as the government, but Ger
many has taken a bold step herself
in directing Copenhagen to order
the Minister home, especially in a
cablegram signed simply: Foreign
Office"
1t was viewed as unlikely here
that Berlin would forge instruc-
tionS, inaSmuch as it was generally
believed that Copenhagen would re-
spond to any German demands.
The opinion here is that the Ger
man government is proceeding slow
ly about deciding what step it
should take concerning the Green
land agreement, because a crisis in
American-Danish relations or a new
strain on American-German rela-
tions might follow Nazi order to
the Copenhagen government to pro-
test the agreement.
U. S. Charge in Copenhagen.
Germany could bring the Ger
man-dictated Copenhagen point of
view to the direct attention of the
American Government by arranging
to have the protest given to the
American charge d'affaireS in the
Danish capital Ray Atherton, the
titular American Minister, is in
Washington as chief of the State
Departments Division of European
Affairs. He was Withdrawn from
Copenhagen as a gesture of Ameri-
can distaste for the occupation of
Denmark. and this gesture is in
tensifled by the fact that he retains
the title of Minister to Denmark
The American Government has
taken delicate care during the last
II months to retain a routine rela-
tionship with the Danish govern
ment for these reasons:
l. To stay the Germans from un-
restrained domination of Denmark.
2. To encourage the Danish gov
ernment from falling into too supine
a position.
3. To give the German govern
ment no excuse for reprisals against
Danish relatives of Danes in
America.
Greenland Under Legation.
II the United States could be
sure of its ground in international
law in recognizing Mr.. De Kauff-
mann as the Danish government,
it probably would have done so
long ago in order to make possible
the transfer by sale to the United
States of the Danish cargo ships.
But it was feared that under such
sale. the ships would be consid-
cred as outlaws in the harbors of
some countries and be kept out of
service by injunction.
So far as Greenland is concerned,
the island has been administered
at the direction of the Legation
here since the war broke out. The
two governors, ESke Brun and Aksel
Svdne. receive their instructions
from Washington. Mr.. De Kauff-
mann arranged the setting up of
committee for Greenland last April,
and he has co-operated with a
Greenland delegation of three per-
sons established in New York for
economic reasons.
The likelihood of American occu-
patton was discussed with Mr.. De
Kaufman at the State Department
the day the Nazis occupied Denmark.
He foresaw the step under the Mon
roe Doctrine before it had been i'm
plemented by the Havana Declara-
ton. which was invoked in Thurs
days, agreement.
During 1910, however, the Ger
mans apparently were careful. except
in a few instances, to avoid any
gesture toward Greenland in order
not to arouse the United States.
The decision to act was reached by
the State Department and Mr.. De
Kaufman when a German bomber
flew over the island March 27.
Viscount Halifax, the British Am
bassador, and the Canadian Lega-
tion here we're notified of the nego-
tiations just before their completion.
The Governors of Greenland were
notified as soon as the agreement
La ,1,,t@15o