Word: iceland
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White House Secretary Steve Early pointed out that Senator Wheeler might thus have endangered the lives of Iceland-bound U.S. sailors and marines. Britain's Prime Minister Winston Churchill sent a personal message to President Roosevelt, complaining that British troops had also been endangered. To these indignant allegations the Senator answered calmly (and illogically): "My information is that we had already occupied Iceland at the time I gave out my statement...
Prophecy. A few hours after President Roosevelt confirmed his Iceland story, Burt Wheeler said: "It won't be long before we will be occupying Dakar, the Azores and the Cape Verde Islands." The prophecy was quickly denied by Dr. Joāo Antonio de Bianchi, Portuguese Minister to the U. S. "Whoever tries to take our islands," said Dr. de Bianchi, "will get his fingers scalded...
...bluejackets and leathernecks pouring ashore at Reykjavik last week looked over the possibilities of Iceland-as a place to live and a place to defend...
...Americans also learned that the winters aren't so cold and the defenses aren't so hot. Even though Iceland is tangent to the Arctic Circle, its air is warmed by the Gulf Stream, its houses by water piped from its many hot springs. The best natural element of defense is Lake Thingvalla, which, because it is fed by these hot springs, never freezes, and is therefore ideal for flying patrol boats. Otherwise the advantages of the natural defenses are offset by the scarcity of roads and materiel-scarcities which the Yanks knew their Army would...
...Iceland has half a dozen possible airfields, and more could be made on the flat south-coastal plains-if there are planes to put on them. Reykjavik is the only good harbor; though lots of little boats can huddle in the fiords by the herring ports on the north shore...