DECLASSIFIED EH SECRET Security PJSERVICE DESPATCH I Va -- DO NOT TYPE IN THIS SPACE 71 5 3 b 11_2751 FROM AMLEGATION REYKJAVIK Dgg o r C2 34w TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ST TE WASHINGTON Novem r 27 3195103398 715 3 Va 45 ZONE 1 - REF Legation's Secret Telegram 85 Nov EA 1951 3 23 ACTIONXX DEPT 2 False e DCR OLI 3 3 28008 Use Only OTHER 3 Deal 0 SUBJECT FIRST ICELANDIC REACTION TO SENATOR STATEMENT ON ATOMIC BASES be established in Iceland North Africa and Turkey and not in England has been picked up by the local Communist press daily THJODVILJINN published the story on the first page on November See enclosure THJODVILJINN stated that 25 1951 quoting a Reuters news despatch editorial comment has appeared as yet The The statement of Senator Edwin Johnson that atomic ses shouldg due to the pressure of the British people Churchill had promised to negotiate with the United States for the transfer of these bases and the article assumed that the United States is considering THJODVILJINN con- cluded that Americans feel that it does not matter if Iceland should the possibility of moving the bases to Iceland be subjected to the attack and horronswhich such bases would bring upon the nation A spokesman at the Foreign Office said informally that as yet no mention of the article has been heard from Icelanders a l I ' 2r 0 Unofficial translation of article appearing in the Communist daily THJODVILJINN Enclosure Department send copies BNA MATS as per attached instruction Copmei wegjal McGaw via Legation 7 2 EON MSOlmsted g9 SECRET ACTION COPY -- DEPARTMENT OF STATE 6 0'49# i 3 asszre 331 tea 1 also 1 8017299 ll on pouinieg eg isnw iuemnooq seq I sage Morris N Hughes Chargd d'Affaires ad interim it The action o ice must return this permanent record copy to les with an endorsement of action takx Cerise U DECLASSIFIED r Ra sins UNCLA SIF IED Enc No AUthonty Clani cafion Desp From Be UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION OF AN ARTICLE APPEARING IN THE COMMUNIST DAILY THJODVILJINN NOVEMBER 25 1951 PAGE 1 COLUMN 2 5 m WILL THE AMERICAN ATOM BASES BE TRANSFERRED TO A MEMBER OF THE ATOMIC ENERGY COMMITTEE OF THE U S CONGRESS SAYS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SUBJECT BRITAIN TO THE HORRORS OF ATOMIC WARFARE CONSIDERS THAT THE BASES WOUED BE BETTER PLACED IN ICELAND A Renter's report from Washington dated the 12th of November which has been carried by many foreign newspapers says At a press conference today the Democratic senator Edwin Johnson declared that the United States should discard its atom bases in Britain as they would be much better placed elsewhere in Iceland North Africa and Turkey for example He concluded by saying that there was no excuse for sub- jecting Britain to the danger of enemy attack SenatOr JohnsOn is a member of the Atomic Energy Committee of the U S Congress MORGUNBLADID seems to haVe been of the opinion that it would not be beneficial fer the Icelanders to see this report as one would hardly expect a Renter's report which conCerns Iceland to escape its attention Not least because the per- son involved is a member Of the innermost U S preparatiOns for an atom war and who has more than once before reported On atomic energy issues which were to have been kept secret A movement to rid Britain of the U S atom bases because they subject the British nation to tremendous danger has been growing in intensityo This movement has becOme so powerful that Churchill has had to pay attention to it and has promised to try to negotiate the transfer of these bases from Britain by the United States The comments made by the American statesman indicate that the U S Government is considering the possibility of meet- ing this request by moving their atom bases to Iceland His comments reveal that the Americans do not think there is much at stake even if Iceland were subjected to the attacks and horrors which such bases would bring upon the Icelandic nation UNCLASSIFIED nub-Incl or action take a 30 0