NAZI INVASION METHOD

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 119, 18 April 1940, Page 7

NAZI INVASION METHOD

POLISH TECHNIQUE REPEATED THOROUGH PLANS APPARENT (United Press Association. —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright,) (British Official Wireless.) Received April 18, 9.45 a.m. RUGBY, April 17. • It is apparent from their official and semi-official statements that the Germans are by no means fully informed of the whereabouts of tlie landings and subsequent, movements of the Allied troops in Norway. In these circumstances the reticence of the British authorities in withholding information is fully appreciated here. ■ The veil was slightly lifted by the French Prime Minister’s announcement that the Allied troops had made contact with the Norwegian troops and that further contingents were on the way, but there is no expectation that early disclosures of a more specific character will be made. , i

LESSON FOR NEUTRALS. The thoroughness of the preparations for the German onslaught on Norway is now being revealed, and the fact that agents were waiting at landing places to put themselves at the disposal of the German troops on arrival nas served to put other neutrals on their guard. In South-Eastern European countries, in particular, the authorities arc stated to be on the alert ,and are carefully watching the movements ol possible German agents. The similarity of the technique adopted by Germany towards Norway to that employed in her earlier aggressions is noted in the Times, which recalls that Herr von Ribbentrop (Nazi Foreign Minister) preceded the invasion ol Poland by a diatribe against the Polish Government for rejecting “reasonable terms” which, in fact, they have not yet even seen. “A very similar method seems to have been used against the Norwegians,” says the Times. “In the small hours of Tuesday morning ot last week the Nazi Minister in Oslo presented himself at the Foreign Office with 12 demands with which it was urgent that the Norwegian Government should instantly comply. In consideration of their acceptance it appeared that the Nazis would ‘protect’ Norway against the alleged diabolical designs of Britain and France, since Germany ‘still tried to defend the rights of neutral countries.’ ANOTHER TIME-TABLE. “From a study of f lic text, of the ultimatum to Norway, it appears that the only right of neutral countries is the right to abject servitude -under the Nazi heel, and the Norwegian Government, naturally rejected the terms with contempt. But what shows the familiar technique is the timetable. Dr. Bauer presented the Nazi demands at 5 o’clock in the morning. German warships had already been sighted at midnight, and fighting bad begun between them and the Norweg inn coast defences soon after half p.ast three. Tn fact,, Cabinet was already assembled to discuss the conduct of the war in being before Dr. Bauer arrived with the conditions on which the Nazis were prepared to preserve the peace. , “There is no reason why further victims should be taken in.”