Office of the Historian

840.20/12–1148: Telegram

The Minister in Iceland (Butrick) to the Secretary of State

secret
Reykjavik, December 11, 1948—2 p. m.

304. Foreign Minister informed of Deptel 2251 on December 7 at which time he made no comment. British Minister advised. Today Foreign Minister called me to his office state matter had been discussed in government. He specifically brought out two points:

(1)
That Iceland wishes to be consulted in advance of any formal invitation or announcement involving Iceland;2
(2)
That it would be highly advisable that Norway and Denmark participate in pact if Iceland were expected to be participant.

He then stated that there would be no possibility of US having military base in Iceland, that that matter had been disposed of in 1946, but that Iceland’s participation in general pact would be another matter, a fresh approach. He said informally that there is now live discussion among public in regard to pact. I told him I would convey his two points to my government promptly in accordance with his desire.

We will report press comment on pact as it continues develop and otherwise follow situation.

Butrick
  1. Telegram 225, December 7, to Reykjavik, not printed, regarding conversations with Canada and Brussels treaty countries on the desirability of an Atlantic pact (840.20/11–2648).↩
  2. This point was reinforced by Butrick in his telegram 315 of December 28 in which he informed the Department that Prime Minister Stefánsson, in a conversation of that date, had requested information on developments in the Atlantic Pact as they affected Iceland and had stressed the fact that Iceland did not want to be confronted with an invitation to join a pact already decided upon and made public. (Telegram 315 not printed: 840.20/12–2848.)↩