Editorial Note
Edward Lawson for the United States and Bjarni Benediktsson for Iceland signed the Defense Agreement pursuant to the North Atlantic Treaty between the United States of America and the Republic of Iceland at noon on May 5. The treaty is printed in 2 UST (part 1), page 1195, and in Department of State Bulletin, May 21, 1951, page 812.
Article IV of the final treaty gave Iceland the right to approve the number of troops stationed there. Article VI gave either Government the right to terminate the agreement during time of peace after certain conditions had been met.
On May 8 Lawson and Benediktsson signed a number of annexes to the Agreement of May 5. For the Annex on the Status of United States Personnel and Property, see 2 UST (part 2), page 1533.
The published treaty and annex, as well as a General Annex; Annex on Administration: Annex on Civil Air Operations; five technical schedules; a memorandum of conversation of May 4, 1951, recording the oral understandings on implementation of the Agreement; three Legation notes dated May 7; and the three Icelandic replies to them, were all transmitted as enclosures to despatch 486 from Reykjavik, May 9. (740B.5/5–951)
Civil aviation and the question of privileges and immunities were two questions that required a good deal of discussion before final settlement, although both countries considered them less important than the question of the duration of the treaty.
A memorandum from Raynor to Perkins, March 19, listed the main considerations with regard to the use of Keflavik Airport by military and civil aviation in the event of unilateral termination of the Agreement by Iceland. Even if it terminated the agreement, Iceland would still be a member of NATO, and for that reason it was anticipated that it would not object to the use of Keflavik by United States military aircraft. (711.56340B/3–1951)
In a conversation regarding implementation of the Agreement, Lawson stated that Iceland should understand that the United States had the right to assume control of the airport to the extent that military needs required, even though Iceland had control of civil aviation. (Memorandum of conversation, enclosed in despatch 473 from Reykjavik, May 4, 740B.5/5–451)
In a conversation between members of the Departments of State and Defense in Washington on May 15, Lawson said it was necessary for the United States to realize that Iceland had the responsibility for civil aviation, although the military would be able to take [Page 506] over whenever military necessity warranted. (Memorandum of conversation, 740B.5/5–1551)
A copy of the Annex on Civil Air Operations is enclosed in despatch 486 from Reykjavik, May 9. (740B.5/4–951)
In telegram 161 from Reykjavik, March 4, Lawson advised the Department of State that when the matter of privileges and immunities arose, Iceland’s primary concern was payment for claims. (740.5/3–451)
In airgram A–84 to Reykjavik, March 16, the Department of State informed the negotiators in Iceland that it wanted Iceland to waive claims for government-owned property in agreed areas. It also wanted the Icelandic Government to participate in liability for private claims on a percentage basis, preferably 75 percent for the United States and 25 percent for Iceland, although it would accept any participation by Iceland of 15 percent or more. (740B.5/3–451)
Telegram 179 from Reykjavik, April 1, contained a copy of the claims provisions being discussed by the negotiators and telegram 176 to Reykjavik, April 7, gave revisions and comments of the Department of State. (740B.5/4–151)
For the Annex on the Status of United States Personnel and Property, see 2 UST (part 2), page 1533.