1025/ <2y
/40
V
BRITISH &EBASSY,
V/AQHIHOTOIT,  P. C
Hay 6th, 1940
No. 404
..y Lord,
With reference to correspondence ending
£,1    with :ny telegram Ho, 6 SO of Jiay 1st reporting the
decision of the United States Government to establish
a Consulate in Greenland, X have the honour to report
that public discussion regarding x,he statue of
Greenland with respect to the Monroe Doctrine has
been well covered by the reports of the British
Library of information since the German invasion of
Den.crk.
8# The wide range of speculation on the matter
is well indicated in the Library's Survey Be. 166
covering the period April 9th to April 16th, There
is general agreement with the Administration's view
that Greenland forms part of the   /estern Hemisphere
and is covered by the tionroe . octrine.    There is
general agreement that, the Germans   uct be kept out
and that in view of the Monroe doctrine it is Canada
or the United otates rather than Great Britain which
should do this.    The choice between Canada and the
United states9 however, is difficult because Canada
is so closely connected with a Kuropean power and the
United States is aware that an ,\aerican occupation of
Greenland would give a pretext for a Japanese
occupation of the. Motherlands "est Indies if Germany
should/
\
The Right Honourable
The Viscount Halifax, Jf.G
etc
• 9
etc
etc.
-2-
should overrun Holland,   The necessity for anybody
to occupy Greenland against the Germans seems,
however, remote enough Tor the discussion to remain
academic and interest appears to be dying down.
3. I am sending copies of this despatch to
the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom at
Ottawa and to the British Library of Information.
I have the honour to be,
with the highest respect,
tfy Lord,
Your Lordship's most obedient,
humble servant,
( OJ) LO?HI..J