Office of the Historian

14. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Leddy) to the Under Secretary of State (Katzenbach)1

Washington, March 28, 1968.

SUBJECT

  • Agreement with the Government of Denmark on Nuclear Overflights and Storage in Greenland
[Page 24]

Discussion:

In your reply (Tab B) to the Danish note of February 26 (Tab C)2 you stated that the United States Government was prepared to discuss with the Danes the matter of supplementing the Agreement of April 27, 1951 concerning the Defense of Greenland.

We have, subsequently, told the Danish Ambassador that our preference was for a secret exchange of notes that would make nuclear overflights and storage in Greenland subject to consultation between our two Governments. The Danes have indicated that they are willing to accept this procedure.

We have drawn up a draft note (Tab A) which has been approved by the Department of Defense. I propose to present this draft to the Danish Ambassador when he calls on me on Monday April 1.

Our draft is designed to:

(a)
assure the Danes that we are not now overflying Greenland with nuclear weapons or storing such weapons in Greenland;
(b)
allow for nuclear overflights or storage in the future if both Governments deem such action advisable; and
(c)
point out to the Danes that there may be conditions of extreme emergency under which consultations with respect to overflights would be difficult.

If you concur, I plan to give a draft copy of our note to the Danish Ambassador on April 1 and tell him that we would be prepared to present that text as a secret note in reply to their note of February 26.

Recommendation:

That you approve the attached draft note.3

Attachment

PROPOSED RESPONSE TO CONFIDENTIAL DANISH NOTE OF FEBRUARY 26

The United States Government assures the Government of Denmark that, notwithstanding the provisions of the 1951 Agreement on the Defense of Greenland, it will not store nuclear weapons in Greenland or overfly Greenland with aircraft carrying nuclear weapons except as a result of a joint decision by our two Governments.

[Page 25]

It must be recognized however, that in circumstances of extreme emergency, the situation may make advance consultation with respect to overflights difficult. The United States Government would, nonetheless, make every effort to consult the Government of Denmark in such circumstances.

  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967-69, DEF 15 GREENLAND-US. Secret. Drafted by Klebenov on March 27 and cleared by Farley (G/PM) and Berlack (L/EUR). The memorandum was addressed to “The Secretary” when it was typed, but “Under” was then inserted by hand (presumably by Leddy) between “The” and “Secretary.” 1 Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967-69, DEF 15 GREENLAND-US. Secret. Drafted by Klebenov on March 27 and cleared by Farley (G/PM) and Berlack (L/EUR). The memorandum was addressed to “The Secretary” when it was typed, but “Under” was then inserted by hand (presumably by Leddy) between “The” and “Secretary.”↩
  2. See Document 11 and footnote 2 thereto.↩
  3. Katzenbach indicated his approval on March 31.↩