859B.20/10–1047
Memorandum by the Director of the Office of European Affairs (Hickerson) to the Secretary of State
problem
In the interviews which he desires with the Secretary and also with the President, Mr. Rasmussen, the Danish Foreign Minister, will undoubtedly wish to discuss the current consultations concerning the defense of Greenland. He will then be strongly tempted to release for Danish consumption a statement designed to give the impression of having come to grips with the problem. It is to our interest that any such statement by Mr. Rasmussen be couched in generalities.
background
Secretary Byrnes, in a conversation with Mr. Rasmussen on December 14, 1946,1 emphasized the vital importance of Greenland to United States security and suggested three possible courses of action for Mr. Rasmussen’s consideration. A memorandum which includes a brief account of the Byrnes-Rasmussen conversation and summarizes developments as of May 28, 1947 is attached.2
The Danish Ambassador, in a note of May 27, 1947, mentioned his Government’s wish for termination of the Defense of Greenland Agreement [Page 678] and requested early consultations as provided in Article X. In the Secretary’s press release of May 29, 19473 this Government declared its readiness actively to explore with the Danish Government “at any time the basis of some new agreement in keeping with the letter and spirit of the Charter of the United Nations which would take fully into account Danish sovereignty over Greenland and legitimate United States and hemispheric defense requirements”.
The Danish Ambassador stated on August 20 that he hoped that by the time of the visit of the Foreign Minister to attend the General Assembly, sufficient progress might have been made to enable the Danish Government to say without undue exaggeration that consultations under Article X of the Defense of Greenland Agreement had begun and were continuing.4
On September 12 I conveyed the following oral statement to the Ambassador:
“With reference to our recent conversation I wish to confirm to you that our current discussions concerning the Agreement of April 9, 1941, for the defense of Greenland are considered by the United States Government as having initiated consultations in the sense of Article X of that Agreement.
“The problems brought up in our discussions with you have been brought to the attention of the other interested agencies of this Government and are being given careful consideration in cooperation with those agencies.”
The Ambassador confirmed by letter the receipt of my message and expressed satisfaction.
A committee composed of representatives of State, Army, Navy and Air Force has nearly completed a draft of a new agreement. In my opinion, no such draft should be broached to the Danes until the Danish United Nations Delegation, which includes a Communist member of Parliament, shall have left this country.
recommendations
That in any conversation with Mr. Rasmussen the importance of Greenland as a link in the defense system of the United States and of this hemisphere be emphasized and that he be told that we are actively studying with the other interested Departments the views which have been put forward by Ambassador Kauffmann and that at a later date we shall pursue the matter further.
- See footnote 3, p. 657.↩
- The attachment is not printed.↩
- See the memorandum by Morgan, May 31, 1947, p. 663.↩
- Ambassador Kauffmann’s call at the Department of State on August 20, 1947, is reported upon in a memorandum of the same date from the Associate Chief of the Division of Northern European Affairs (Morgan) to Hickerson, not printed (859B.20/8–2047).↩