The White Falcon - 25.06.1971, Blaðsíða 7

on the island had de-
teriorated to the
point that the Danish
government planned to
repatriate the few
remaining thousands
of inhabitants back
to the Danish home-
land.
It was out of this
total despair that
the movement rose to
Prime Minister Johann
Hafstein with wife.

restore Iceland to its former
place among nations.
Thera was no bloody revo-
lution as In our country or
elsewhere, but the fight was
nevertheless as intense and
the weapons were the pen, the
debate and the petition. It
was to this era that Jen Si-
gurdsson engraved his indeli-
ble signature. To many Ice-
landers, he is compared to
rge Washington. Unlike his counterpart though, this
t nan never gotto see the final fruits of his efforts
but still the seed that he and hie followers sowed grew.
By 1874 the Danish king had presented Iceland with her
first constitution which granted autonomy in large part.
By 1918, Iceland had become virtually independent, keep-
ing only a few vestiges under the crow. The lrfng of
Denmark remained titular head though actual power had been
restored to the Icelandic Althing in all but the conduct
of foreign affairs. The provisions of this treaty left
the agreement to a 25 year review at which time it could
be terminated by either gov-
ernment.
It was under the provi-
sions of this treaty that the
electorate of Iceland decided
overwhelmingly in 1944 to ao-
(See CELEBRATION, Page 10)
Two young spectators try to get the beet
vantage point to observe everything.
Mixed choir in Rekyjavlk opens evening
festivities.
TUN DA
low
nouncs
discusses so-
wn t.
Crowd of all ages pack the closed off streets of Rekyjavlk at' the-
of dancing that lasted until early morning
WHITE FALCON
/