BRITAIN & NEUTRALS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 March 1940, Page 5

BRITAIN & NEUTRALS

REFERENCE TO NORWEGIAN PROTEST maintenance of high STANDARDS. IN CONDUCTING BLOCKADE OF GERMANY. (BritlsTi Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 26. Alleged infringement of Norwegian neutrality mainly by British aircraft was the' subject of representations made towards the end of last week to the British Government by the Norwegian Minister in London. Regarding the reports of further representations alleging entry into Norwegian waters by British warships which were watching the movements of German merchantmen, no communication so far has been made in London. While determined to prevent exploitation by the enemy of neutral water which, as the Altmark episode showed, is a practice often followed in violation of genuine neutrality, Britain will consider sympathetically any Norwegian representations that- may be advanced, fully recognising that from time to time differences must arise with neutrals.

There is every reason to believe that Norway, which through the torpedoings and bombings made without warning by the Nazis, has lost about 60 ships and over 400 seamen, appreciates the fact that Britain has in the past conducted the blockade of Germany with full regard to the dictates of humanity and respect for the rights of neutrals and will continue to do so. In Scandinavia, a London message states, the fate of neutral ships continues to be the main subject of interest. In some quarters, also, the opinion has been expressed that the iron ore shipping traffic to Germany through territorial waters must stop.