Evening star., 1946-06-09
|ce|ands Minister Is No Eskimo

sumably. cause just as big a national
heartache.
1t is the same thing with Iceland's
postwar contribution. As a member OF
UNRRA as we'll as of the Food and
Agriculture Organizat ton, Mr. Thors'
country has contributed 81 500 900 worth
Of food and cash in the last year to
feed the starving of Europe and Asia.
His diminutive chancery (ofice build
ing) at 909 Sixteenth street NV. is not
so busy today as it was during the war.
Now, as then. its main concern is
handling export licenses and shipping
arrangements for Icelandic trade with
the United States, and Mr. Thors Is
considered a good business-type diplo-
mat. The Legation is clearing house
for Iceland's relations with Canada as
we'll as with the United States: consuls
in Canada report to Mr.. Thors. There
are 10000 people of Icelandic descent
here and in Canada-and last year the
Legation received 10000 letters and tele-
grams Mr.. Thors sometimes wonders
ada, as there are twice as many Ice
landers there as here.
Majority of Icelanders
Here Live in Minnesota
Most of our 10000 live in Minnesota.
We also have 500 college students visit
ing here. Mr.. Thors says all Of them,
including the students, have a very
good record"
The majority of Icelanders in this
country are professional men-doctors,
lawyers, and so forth he says Il am
happy to say I know of no real fail
ures among them"
Mr.. Thors is not so tied down to his
desk that he has no time for the social
side OF diplomacy, but he operates on
the theory that the representative Of
the smallest state has no business going
In for lavish entertainment A sociable
drinking man in the best Scandinavian
tradition, he inclines. however, to scotch
or rye whisky rather than to brenne.
win, the traditional Icelandic potion.
He is fond Of organizing small impromp-
tn parties. He occasionally displays q
disposition, as the evening wears along,
to make solemn speeches about the close
kinship Of northern peoples.
The camera is kind to him, making
him look thinner than he is, He likes
to wear double breasted blue suits and
ties OF sassy pattern. His craving hair,
when out of control, hzzles wildly over
his right ear.
At 42, MI. Thors is a conscientious
husband and father His beautiful wife.
Aeusta, is here in Washington. where
his two boys, Ingolfur, l5 and Thor,
Jr.. II, go to SidWell Friends School.
His beautiful daughter, Margaret. 1s,
is at the Briarclif School in New York
State.
These are some of the reasons why
Mr.. Thors, by his own admission, is one
OF the proudest diplomats In Washing
ton. But it goes deeper than that.
Though his pride is more for his coun-
try's position than for his own. it ia
not 1celand's contribution in war and
peace which make his chest expand,
No1'' ~ ID 1iAe iee1iHs tIlat tne very
existence of state SO small is
feather in the cap of each of its people.
He knows its continued existence de-
pends on the worlds ability to work out
an international system which will
allow people to mind their own business.
But he is neither downhearted nor
worried. For he also knows, as does
everybody who thinks about It, that
IN this modern world of ours every-
oooy's continued existence depends on
that ability.