859A.01/127: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Iceland (Morris)
166. Your 171, May 5, 9 p.m. The Danish Legation here has informally expressed to us its regret at the action of the King. On May 10 the Danish Minister called on Thor Thors and gave him a note which reads substantially as follows:
“The Minister of Iceland is informed that he is free to report to his Government that Minister de Kauffmann and Legation Counselor Brun have declared to him that they deeply regret the message from His Majesty the King to Iceland and that they are convinced that the statement contained in the message can only be occasioned by the fact that the King owing to the German occupation cannot have formed a clear idea of all the circumstances. They entertain no doubts that the Danish people when they are free to form an opinion and to speak will understand all these circumstances which determined the decision made by Iceland.”
Thors was asked to transmit the statement to the Icelandic Government with the request that it be treated as confidential and not published.
The attitude the Danish Legation here has maintained with respect to the Icelandic independence movement is described in its pro memoria of January 13 which was transmitted to you as enclosure to instruction no. 70, of February 4.9 A copy of this document was also forwarded to the King of Denmark. (Your 177, May 9, 12 noon.)
- Neither printed.↩