859A.01/126: Telegram
The Minister in Iceland (Morris) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 5—8:05 p.m.]
171. The Legation has received from a confidential source the text of a message from the King of Denmark4 to the Icelandic Prime Minister. Local newspapers carried big headlines saying King asks postponement of separation of Iceland and Denmark and a brief news item says the request is based on the presence of foreign forces in both countries. Full text has not been released here and should be regarded as confidential for the present.
Text in translation follows:
“In conjunction with the reports which have come from Iceland concerning action by Althing and the Government concerning a change in form of Government, we wish the following communication brought to the attention of Iceland Government and people:
During all our reign it has consistently been our effort to advance the Icelandic people’s welfare and in these years when war makes its deep imprint on the lives of people we have sought to follow the situation in Iceland and have carefully weighed our attitude toward the Icelandic people doing so with an eye to what might be gained for that country as a Scandinavian nation. The willingness to listen to the views of the people which Iceland’s Althing and Government have always met with from us can obviously all the more be counted upon in this most important issue as to the future of the country. We may in the meantime on our hand feel it right to nourish the hope that final conclusions as to the future form of Government under which the bond between the Icelandic people and the King would be severed does not become an actuality as long as Iceland as well as Denmark is occupied by foreign powers. And we hold the firm conviction that it would bring little of good fortune to the fine brotherly spirit between these two Scandinavian nations which is uppermost in our mind, if this were to occur. We wish therefore that before the final action comes about you inform Iceland’s Government and people that we, so long as the present situation obtains, cannot recognize the change in governmental form which Iceland’s Althing and Government without consultation with us have decided upon. Given at our Palace Sorgenfri, the 2nd of May, 1944, (signed Christian R).”
- Christian X.↩