Christmas in Iceland - 15.12.1940, Page 25

interfere with our Government's policy. They
are to pay for everything they get here, and
and everything that may be damaged by
them”.
What was the attitude of the people of
Reykjavik to all this sudden change? I will
tell you honestly — it was rather cold. It was
in no way hostile, but just cold.
The main reason for this cold reception was
that we were on the threshold of indepen-
dance when it was snatched away.
To understand the Icelanders’ point of
view, it is necessary at this point to say a few
words about the country’s history. Iceland
was colonised late in the ninth century, and
early in the tenth by Herdir, Rygir, Syguir
and several other tribes from the West Coast
of Norway. It is wrong to say that it was
colonised by Norwegians, for it was these
tribes who, with other similar tribes, later
became the Norwegian nation. They were by
no means a nation at that time. Some of the
settlers came from Scotland and Ireland they
were partly Norsemen and people of Celtic
origin.
About half a century after the settlement
of Iceland began, a republic was established
with common laws for the whole country.
This republic stood for 300 years, as has been
pointed out by Dr. Vilhjalmur Stefansson, —
double the time United States of America
have so far existed.
After these three centuries Iceland came
under the Norwegian King, and later the
“Kalmar Union” was established, when Nor-
way broke away from Denmark, Iceland re-
mained in union with the latter. Then in
1377 a Thousend years after the settlement
of Iceland — we get home gggg. In 1918 we
made a final agraiment with the Danes
that settled matters for the next 25 years.
This agreement was to expire in 1943,
and looked like oventually ending in a
free Icelandic republic, free of any bonds to
the Danes or to the Danish King.
In April last the Germans siezed Denmark,
therby cutting the ties that remained between
these countries. The Icelandic government
therefore declared that it was a declation
of independence which would eventually have
come in 1943, had things taken their norma!
course.
That was a lump of history, but I gave it
in order to lead up to this point — the rather
cold attitude of the Icelanders towards you
when you landed. In the past months so
many promises had been broken especially
by the “Maddogs” that no one here in Ice-
land trusted anybody.
No wonder that many Icelanders wondered
whether the British would keep their promi-
ses. It was not so, with such Icelanders as
knew the British.
I for one know them.
All nations have their own peculiarities.
People of some don’t take their given word
too seriously, if it is in convenient for them.
Not so the British. They almost fanatically
keep their word , it seems to me sometimes
as if it where part o ftheir religion. I thenfore
had no hesitition in believing that, come the
appropriate time, they would evacuate the
country.
But there were several small things I did
not like that morning. I did not like to see
soldiers with fixed bayonets on guard outside
my hotel. I had always liked to see, fluttering
the Union Jack of our powerful southerly
neighbour. But that morning — the 10 th of
May — I felt uneasy when I saw it flying
boldly from the building where the British
had established their headquarters. Also, I
did not like to see these stalwart young sol-
diers digging trenches in our mud!
All these complaints.... and to think that
several hours previously I had felt “the bitter-
ness of defeat”, because I had earnestly belie-
ved that the “Maddogs” had arrived.
Then I thought again. Things had been mo-
ving fast in the outer vorld. Holland Bel-
gium and Norway have fallen. The impreg-
nable Maginot line has been blown up. The
famous French Army has been paralysed.
The German leader has told his followers that
they have the world in “palm of their hands”
that it would only be a few days before the
British Army was ruled off the map. The
invasion of England, it was heralded, was to
Continued on Page 29,
CHRISTMAS IN ICELAND
23