859B.01/199: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consul at Godthaab (Penfield)
20. With further reference to your 22, June 3, 11 p.m.26 we have been informed today by the Canadian Legation that a temporary British guard was placed on the Julius Thomsen, (a) to prevent sabotage and (b) to insure that the vessel would in fact proceed to Greenland in accordance with the orders given her at Kirkwall.
The Legation also assures us that there are no Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers on board the Nascopie; no soldiers except the artillery officer of whose presence you have already been informed; and only two police constables together with four civilians who have been deputized to handle two machine guns. These machine guns, a few rifles, and one spar (sic) are the sole defense equipment carried by the Nascopie. The whole complement of the Nascopie will return with that vessel to Canada.
The Legation, on instructions from Canadian Department of External Affairs, also repeated the previous statement made to this Government that Canada has no intention of occupying Greenland.
You may inform Governor Svane of the foregoing.
- Not printed.↩