Wairarapa Times-Age WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1940. WAR IN NORTHERN EUROPE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 April 1940, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1940. WAR IN NORTHERN EUROPE

TT mar be assumed that the Allies are in no way taken by 1 surprise bv the developments which have lollowed on hu noZex tension of their blockade by naval action and the laying of minefields in Norwegian territorial uateis I at Germany would resort to any desperate measiue in an effort to break the tightening Allied grip uas to expected and the invasion of Denmark and ol Nnrva> mu. t have been foreseen. That, the whole of Scandinavia will non be involved in the war in one way or fßiother appeals 1o Ie inevitable Even Denmark’s passive submission to thc-Gei man > invasion will hardly save her territory from being made a battlefield. It is already abundantly clear that the Geiman extension, of the war is not a counter move to the development of the Allied blockade, but had already been planned and prepared and was about to be undertaken in any case. Although the Allies have found themselves compelled to extend their operations into Norwegian waters, it is niamiest, that they cannot justly be held in any degree responsible lor the extension of the area of the war. Their action was made inevitable bv Germany’s criminal and intolerable violation ot Scandinavian neutrality and by the reduction of the neutral countries concerned to the status of pawns acting at Germany s command. Until the Allies took the decisive step from which developments are now proceeding, Germany, in her conduct ot the war, was not only using Norwegian coastal waters as it they were her own, thus deliberately and flagrantly violating Norwegian neutrality, but was conducting a campaign of murderous terrorism against Norway and against, neutral States generally, in Scandinavia and elsewhere. Some of the leading facts were epitomised in the Allied broadcast reported yesterday, which mentioned, for instance, that: — The number of neutral vessels destroyed by the Germans exceeded 150 and neutral lives lost totalled nearly a thousand. On the other hand, the Allies have not destroyed a single neutral ship or taken a single neutral life. They have not only saved innocent victims of German outrages, but also have rescued from drowning German airmen and submarine crews who have been guilty of these inhumanities. A.ny regret felt over the extension of the war to Scandinavian countries must be modified by the fact that these countlies were already being subjected to outrageous and abominable outrages and were at the same time being constrained to assist the nation guilty of these outrages. Moreover, nothing is clearer than 1 hat'if Nazi Germany achieved victory in the war, the independence of the Scandinavian countries would not be worth a moment’s purchase. In face of these well-established truths, the exaggerated terms in which the Allied blockade action was denounced by the Norwegian Foreign Minister (Professor Kohl) must be accounted extremely threadbare, if not positively insincere. Norway is now in conflict with her actual, enemy and no doubt welcomes the assurance of the Allied Governments that they will fight the war in full association with her. That in the circumstances which have now arisen the Allies will act speedily, with vigour and decision, is to be taken for granted. WATERFRONT CONTROL ANNOUNCING the appointment of a commission to control work on the various waterfronts of the Dominion, the Minister of Labour (Mr Webb) has said, with reference to the long-continued and unsettled disputes between the waterside workers and the shipowners, that it is not his intention to enter into anv discussion “as to the responsibilities of the parties concerned for the position that has now arisen.;’ This attitude will be welcomed provided it connotes a determination to ensure that the. working of ships in our ports shall be carried out efficiently and expeditiously during the present period ol war emergency and afterwards, and a determination also to uphold and safeguard the interests of the great third party which commonly is neither heard nor considered on the occasion ol waterside disputes—the general public of the Dominion. Every loyal citizen will concur most heartily in the statement of the Minister of Labour that the existing slate of affairs on our waterfronts cannot be allowed to continue, particularly in view of the present war with Germany and of the urgent necessity for keeping Great Britain supplied with t foodstuffs and other commodities that comprise New Zealand s primary production. It is a matter of simple good. faith with Britain and the Allies and with all who are making their contribution to this country s war effort,- as members of the fighting forces or in an\ othei capacity, that honest and zealous work should be done in our ports. It is an extremely important part ot our war effort that ships should be “turned round’’ with a minimum delay and should be enabled to keep to their convoy ami other schedules. Il is stated that in regulations issued under the Emergency Rc-nlations Act the commission now set up has been given wide powers. It must be hoped that the commission will have and will exercise full authority to establish and to enloree standards fair 1o all concerned —standards that will bear comparison, in their adjustment ol working conditions and payment and in other respects, with those ruling in othei industries and occupations in the Dominion. The obvious demands of'the situation, taking account not only of the present war emergency but of the need at a longer view ol establishing industrial peace and .efficiency on our waterl routs, are that equitable conditions of work and payment should be instituted and that drastic action should be taken against fantastic and unreasonable demands and against any ami e\ei\ attempt Io find in trivial disputes an excuse for paralysing the working ol our ports. Nothing better can be desired than that the eommission now appointed may be enabled to apply genuine principles of equilv to the loading and unloading of ships, ami to place waterside workers on a fair relative footing with other workers in the Dominion.