GAINS IN DENMARK.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 136, 9 May 1940, Page 9

GAINS IN DENMARK.

PLUNDER FOR NAZIS. LONDON, April 21. Germany’s control of Denmark has an effect on the naval situation that is not generally realised, says the Naval correspondent of the Sunday Times. “Denmark,” lie says, “has a large and well-equ.pped shipbuilding industry. Tho five principal yards have 20 ships. There are seven graving docks. In addition, the royal dockyard at Copenhagen is equipped to build warships up to 4000 tons. It has built all Denmark’s 12 submarines, which, incidentally, are now in German hands, as are the Bunneister and Wain diesel works.”

Immediately before the war Denmark was the world’s fourth shipbuilding nation, and produced almost as great a tonnage as Germany. Germany’s gain from the Danish shipyards is offset by the fact that Danish and Norwegian shipping now overseas. is available to the Allies Now that the first shock of the German invasion is over, attention is being directed to the future of Scandinavian and Baltic trade. Normally Britain buys more than 80 per cent, of her wood pulp, 50 per cent, of her other timbers, G 6 per cent, of her bacon, and 50 per cent, of her eggs from Scandinavia and the Baltic States. Even when the Narvik route, is reopened, it will be possible to transport only a fraction of these cargoes. Questions which are unanswered are: I‘What is Germany going to do with the Scandinavian timber and food trade?” and “Whither can she divert jt?”