Henderson daily dispatch., 1941-04-17
Island Deal
Approved
Congressional Atti-
tude Predominantlv
Supports Greenland
Defense Agreement.
BY CHARLES L. STEWART
Central Pres COIuunnIst

Washington, April I1,-Wl1h the
c|Nteptou OF Observation-Disclosures (uc-
cldeuly IN a minority Congress- at
tltudc toward OHCle 3dms establish
mcnt oI d virtual prOtcctJralc over
Danish contr lea Greenland is very
aNoruDlc. Even some oil the IsOIa
tlonists say its all right IL it really is
a purely defensive move, Tor they,
too, support our defense program.
For instance, Senator Warren K.
Austin of Vermont, d Republican,
reasons that, although il "eXpands
ne Monr.e Doctrine, It's WITHIN It's
spirit, since the Doctrine commits
the United States to protection of
the western hemlsphere's integrity
indeed, the lsO~latlOnlStIC IrrecOn-
cllables themselves remark that they
wouldn't object TO the expansion If
they believed it to be exclusively de
lenSlNe. But they don't believe it.
Senator Robert K. Reynolds OF n nth
Carolina puts it that its a scheme to
convoy American war supplies half
way across the AtlantiC-that is. to
Greenland for transnIpment in Brit
Ish vessels. And it has, he adds, the
advantage, to the administration, Of
"aNoiding use OF tne word convoy,
because that's unpopular.'
Nevertheless, generally speaking,
c ngrcsa likes the idea OF Green
land facilities. t~ortItlCations and
other conVenlenCcs for u armed
forces, almost within a blscult-toss OF
Germany's proclaimed maritime war
zone.
Just the same, it wa a queer bar
gain.
Not a Treaty
II wasn't entered into as a Dan
Ish-Amcrican treaty, An Internal
tional treaty, to be validated, re
quiros a tWo-thirds senatorial in
dorsem6nt. IlluStratiVely, a few
years ago, the executive branch Il
Gun government negotiated a treaty
with Canada for st. Lawrence water
way development, submitted it to the
Senate, and did get a small majority
but no. the necessary tWO-thlrdS; so
the treaty tizzled. Now the same
taing's being attempted again, but
not in the form of a treaty. It's in
the form OF a bargain, to be ratified
by the passage Of two bills, respec-
lively by Dur Congress and Canada's
parliament. Can1da'S parliament
will pass It's bill, it's a cinch. And,
in our Congress, a mere bill doesn't
require tWo-thirds; a bare majorlty's
sufficient. Probably the admins
tratIon can get it.
Well, ag previously remarked, this
Greenland arrangement isn't a treaty
either. It's a plain bargain. Only
it's different from the ST. Lawrence
bargain, in that it doesn't have to be
submitted to any legislative body
whatever.
1t was fixed up between State Sec
rotary Cordell Huh and Henrik de
Kaufman, Danish minister IN
Washington. Cordell, Of course,
signed with Presidential approval.
but Congress hasn't a word to say
about the dlcker, except informally.
Is II Official?
Minister de Kaufman is desCrlb-
ed as having acIed lin behalf Of the
king of Denmark Now, is any
body going to believe that the king
OF denmark, q IdLI PMS
oner. subscribed to that compact? He
probably felt like it, but could he
have had the nerve to do Ii, and
then answer to Herr Hitler? Phooey.
If MT, Henrik must have signed on
his own responsibility, which, I'M
authorized, isn't officially good for
anything.
In short, it was a deal between
Secretary Hull and Minister de
Kaufman, personally.
Still, we get our Greenland bases,
Immediately on the heels of the
Greenland arrangement followed the
Presidential proclamation opening
the Red sea and the Gulf Of Alden,
right up to SueZ.
This wasn't treaty-Work or legis-