BRITISH EMBASSY,
WASHINGTON,
May 10 th 9 1940
Ho. 201.
Sir,
On instructions from His Majesty's
Principal Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs I have the honour to inform you that
since the Oerman seizure of Denmark it had
becomo necessary for His Majesty's Government
in the United Kingdom to reckon with the possi-
bility of a sudden Oerman descent upon
Iceland.    It was clear that in the face of an
attack on Iceland, even on a very small scale,
the Icelandic Government would be unable to
prevent their country falling completely into
German hands.
His Majesty's Government accordingly
decided to preclude this possibility, which
would deprive Iceland of her independence, by
themselves landing a force in Iceland; and that
v/as done this morning.
They have explicitly assured the
Icelandio Government that they are acting solely
to ensure the security of Iceland against a
German invasion, that the force will be withdrawn
at the end of the war and that they will not
interfere/
The Honourable
Cordell Hull,
Secretary of State of the United States,
¦Vashin^ton, D. C.
li i.....
-X
ACSK:IIK
interfere with the administration of
the Island-   They are alao prepared to
negotiate an agreement on trade matters
which should bring material advantages
to the inhabitants of Iceland.
I have the honour to be,
with the highest consideration,
Sir,
Your most obedient,
humble servant,
(30DJ LOT.HIhK