Office of the Historian

859B.7962/114

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)

[Washington,] April 9, 1941.
Participants: Secretary Hull, the Danish Minister, Mr. Barnes,13 Mr. Bang-Jensen,14 and Mr. Berle

The Danish Minister came in at 4:30 p.m., by appointment. He and Secretary Hull signed the text of the agreement regarding landing fields in Greenland, which had previously been agreed upon. At the [Page 46] same time, he handed to the Secretary a note in reply to our note of April 7th.15

The Minister said that he believed that in executing the agreement he was doing the best thing possible for his King and his country. Realizing the very grave character of the times, he believed that if Greenland were within the American system of hemispheric defense it would best safeguard this colony for Denmark, as and when Denmark should be liberated.

The Secretary expressed his appreciation of the Minister’s remarks and said that he was deeply appreciative of the Danish Minister’s position in the whole matter.

  1. Charles M. Barnes, Chief of the Treaty Division.↩
  2. Paul Bang-Jensen of the Danish Legation.↩
  3. For text of agreement and notes exchanged, see Department of State Executive Agreement Series No. 204, or 55 Stat. (pt. 2) 1245.↩