859A.01/155
The Icelandic Minister ( Thors ) to the Secretary of State
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Reykjavik has instructed me to convey the following message to you:
According to a treaty concerning the Union between Iceland and Denmark dated November 30, 1918 each contracting party could demand immediately after the end of the year 1940 that the treaty be revised three years later. Each contracting party could decide onesidedly that the treaty be cancelled unless otherwise negotiated before the expiration of this three years period. In order to cancel the agreement in this way two thirds of the members of the Althing had to vote for the cancellation. In addition to this at least three fourths of all voters should participate in a plebiscite out of which again three fourths should also vote for the abrogation.
On May 17, 1941 the Althing passed unanimously a resolution in which it was stated that Iceland would not renew the treaty. Furthermore another resolution was also passed, unanimously stating that Iceland should become a republic as soon as the Union with Denmark had been formally cancelled.
The passing of these resolutions was immediately communicated to the King and the Danish Government through diplomatic channels.
On February 25, 1944 the Althing unanimously with votes of all the members passed a resolution regarding the abrogation of the Icelandic-Danish Union Act from 1918 and on March 8 the Althing passed also unanimously with votes of all the members a constitution for the Republic of Iceland.
The plebiscite for the cancellation of the Union Act and for the assent of the Republican constitution took place during May 20–23, 1944.
The final figures on the voting are not yet at hand from all the electoral districts but there is no doubt that they will hardly cause any change in the final result.
The vote is as follows. The number of voters who have participated is 72.640 which equals 97.86% of all the voters. A total of 70.725 or 97.36% have voted for the cancellation of the Union Act, while 370 [Page 991] or 0.51% have voted against it. There were 1545 or 2.13% blank and void votes.
In the vote about the constitutional change of the Government 69.048 or 95.06% voted for the change while 1042 or 1.43% voted against it. There were 2550 blank and void votes which equal 3.51%.
The people of Iceland have thus in an entirely free plebiscite fully assented to the resolution passed by the Althing concerning the cancellation of the Union Act and for the re-establishment of a Republic in Iceland.
The Althing has been summoned to convene on June 10 to pass the final decision on the abrogation of the Union Act and the re-establishment of a Republic of Iceland.
Such a decision it is planned will lead to the inauguration of the Republic on June 17.
Accept [etc.]