a 7 I AuthorityM g Vs Alli lecuri% 0 f i 3ormatio PRIORITY Security Classi cation 7 SERVICE ye FROM DO NOT TYPE IN THIS SPACE AmLegation Reykjavik tf a TO THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE WASHINGTON - a 4 1 semen I REF Legtel 97 15ecember 12 1951 p 9 ha AcnoN I asst wk UR u erww- Ens DCB -OLI s s ye Biases 28579 heOnh' REGD SUBJECT I FURTHER REACTION TO THREATENED USE OF ICELAND AS ATOMIC BASE During the recent budget debates the Communist leader 1 Bjarnason criticized the Government for ignoring the statement of Senator Edwin Johnson concerning the possibility of establishing an atomic base in Icelanda He stated that the Government had blindly refused to prevent Iceland from becoming the_base of aggression in an atomic war The Foreign Minister brought this subject up during my call on him on-December 19 1951 to discuss another matter The Foreign Minister said there was no reason to make great issue about this subject but did express some concern when I informed him that I had not received a reply from Washington to my inquiry he stated that it would be of great help to him if he could obtain some sort of assurance that nothing was known of such plans and that the Government could not be responsible for personal statements made by individual members of the Congresso He told me that he wished to avoid embarrassment which might arise if he could not report some esort of reply from the United States on a question which he is obliged to investigate He added that of course no member of the present Government has any serious qualms on the matter but he feared that the opposition members would attempt to make capital over it He observed that quite naturally no one can prephesy what may arise in the future or what military steps the United' States and other NATO members may be obliged to take However he did not feel that there was much liklihood of the United States needing to depOSit atomic bombs in Iceland I told him that I would do what I could to get a reply from the Department as soon as possible However since the Althing had begun its Christmas recess and would not resume its meetings Serra on peuxnieg eg sans seemnooc stat until January 3 I did not expect that the question of the establishr ment of atomic bombs would be presented to the Minister in the immediate future The Deparnnent's reply dated December 21 reached the Legation on the 2hth and I immediately attempted to convey the message to the Foreign Ministers He Was not available because of the holidays REPORTER 8 SECRET ACTION COPY DEPARTMENT OF STATE The action of ce must return this permanent record copy to les with an endorsement of action taken Ac-4 3 49 m 3 115 133939 hum DECLASSIFIED game CIaLri caf on N0- From and therefore on the 27th I called upon the Permanent Under-Secretar and gave him the gist of the Department's communication The following evening I saw the Foreign Minister at dinner and had an opportunity to ask him if the assurances given were satisfactory He replied that he Was quite pleased with the response and While not cempletely reassuring for the future he realized the position and considered that the information given him would enable him to answer his critics satisfactorily He expressed his appreciation for our courtesy in providing him with all assurances that are possible under present circumstances Morris N Hughes Charge dIAffaires agi of 4 I