UNCONFIRMED REPORT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 113, 11 April 1940, Page 7

UNCONFIRMED REPORT

BERGEN AND TRONDHEIM RETAKEN MAJOR BATTLES RAGING (United Press Association.—-By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received April 11, 9 a.m. LONDON, April 10. The Stockholm correspondent of the United Press says that a high Swedish authority states that the Allied forces have recaptured Bergen and Trondheim. The same correspondent also states that it is reported that Hamar (the seat of Government) and Elverun (some miles north-east of Hamar) have fallen.

NORWEGIANS RALLY. The Norwegians are rallying in the towns round Narvik to fight the invader, who is meeting with difficulties in the face of the attacks from the British Navy. Norwegian mountaineers are operating in the snow behind improvised lines. The German landing force is believed to be small.

The Norwegians are withdrawing for ten miles to get out of range of the warships.

Strategists point out that, with Tromso still in Norwegian hands, the way is open for the Allies to land troops for an overland inarch from the south for the relief of Narvik.

HEAVY NAZI CASUALTIES. _ A message from Stockholm says the Norwegian troops are reported to have suffered 200 casualties near Elveruni. The German casualties were heavy in the advance on Elverum. Lighting continues, and other major battles arc raging in the northern mountain passes. Authorised sources in Berlin state that the German forces have occupied Hamar. The whereabouts of King Haakon are unknown. PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. NAZ I INSPIR E D STOR Y. NORWEGIAN DENIAL. LONDON, April 10. German official statements and Press reports continue to report that Norway is negotiating for peace, and say a. mutually satisfactory agreement is imminent. British Foreign Office officials and Norwegian officials in London deny the report. ■ It is probable that Germany is negotiating with the puppet government, in regard to which the latest message from Scandinavia says the German Minister at Norway called on King Haakon to clarify who is responsible for governing Norway. fn the meantime the fighting continues in Norway at sea and on land despite an announcement from Berlin that “the operations for the protec tion of the Northern countries’ neutrality have finished.” " DENMARK’S POSITION. The Berlin Official News Agency says the Premier of Denmark (M. Staun ing) to-day announced that the Danish Government was remaining in office after Germany’s assurance that she had no intention of interfering with Denmark's territory and political integrity. M. Stauning is quoted as saying that the Government bears the full responsibility for the decisions made and feels they arose from the honest conviction that the land and the people should be spared a hard blow of fate. ICELAND’S DECISION. BREAK WITH DENMARK. Received April 11. 10.30 a.m REYKJAVIK, April 10. Parliament has broken off relations with Denmark. A proclamation states: “Because the King of Denmark is unable to exercise his powers, the Government is empowered to exercise the King's prerogatives.”