Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 55 Part 2.djvu/674

 INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS OTHER THAN TREATIES [55 STAT. 5. United States undertake defense of the country without expense to Iceland and promise compensation for all damage occasioned to the inhabitants by their military activities. 6. United States promise to further interests of Iceland in every way in their power, including that of supplying the country with sufficient necessities, of securing necessary shipping to and from the country and of making in other respects favorable commercial and trade agreements with it. 7. Iceland Government expect that declaration made by President in this connection will be in agreement with these premises on the part of Iceland, and Government would much appreciate its being given the opportunity of being cognizant with wording of this declara- tion before it is published. 8. On the part of Iceland it is considered obvious that if United States undertake defense of the country it must be strong enough to meet every eventuality and particularly in the beginning it is expected that as far as possible efforts will be made to prevent any special danger in connection with change-over. Iceland Government lays special stress on there being sufficient airplanes for defensive purposes wherever they are required and they can be used as soon as decision is made for United States to undertake the defense of the country. This decision is made on the part of Iceland as an absolutely free and sovereign state and it is considered as a matter of course that United States will from the beginning recognize this legal status of the country, both states immediately exchanging diplomatic repre- sentatives. Message sent by the Presidentof the United States July 1, 1941 in response to a messagefrom the Prime Minister of Iceland I have received your message in which you have informed me that after careful consideration of all the circumstances, the Iceland Gov- ernment, in view of the present state of affairs, admits that the sending to Iceland of United States troops to supplement and eventually to replace the present British forces there would be in accordance with the interests of Iceland and that, therefore, the Iceland Government is ready to entrust the protection of Iceland to the United States on the following considerations: Withdrawal on n- 1. United States promise to withdraw all their military forces, land, clusion of war. air and sea, from Iceland immediately on conclusion of present war. Recognition of Ince 2. United States further promise to recognize the absolute inde- land's independence and sovereignty. pendence and sovereignty of Iceland and to exercise their best efforts with those powers which will negotiate the peace treaty at the conclu- sion of the present war in order that such treaty shall likewise recog- nize the absolute independence and sovereignty of Iceland. Noninterfrence. 3. United States promise not to interfere with Government of Iceland, neither while their armed forces remain in the country nor afterwards.

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