AID FOR NORWAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 April 1940, Page 5

AID FOR NORWAY

ANNOUNCEMENT BY BRITISH FOREIGN OFFICE DETAILS OF THE INVASION OF DENMARK. NORWEGIAN CAPITAL BOMBED BY GERMANS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, April 9. The Foreign Office announces that Britain and France “are forthwith extending full aid to Norway.” This is a sequel to meetings held by the British and French War Cabinets early this morning, together with consultations with the Norwegian Ambassadors and conferences of the Allied army, navy and air force chiefs. The Oslo radio says that the Germans have occupied Narvik and adds that Oslo has been bombed several

times. The coastal batteries at Oskarsberg, in Oslo Fiord, 15 miles from the capital, are shelling the German warships which are attempting to land troops. An official statement issued in Berlin says: “German troops landed at Copenhagen at dawn and occupied the Citadel and broadcasting station. The city has been in German hands since 8 j a.m. German motorised troops and tanks have crossed the Danish frontier near Flensburg and Tonder and are proceeding northward in the direction of Aabenraa and Esbjerg. “In the north troops landed near Middlefart, and naval forces penetrated the Great Belt and landed at Korsor and Nyborg. Coming from Xwarnemunde, troops, armoured cars and tanks were landed from, ferry boats at Gjedser and are proceeding northward. . Simultaneously the bridge at Vordingborg was occupied.” The “New York Times” Copenhagen correspondent says that military resistance is expected by the Danes in Hadersley, where streets and highroads were barricaded and guns placed at 5.25 a.m.

An Oslo message states that Professor Koht, before the Norwegian Government evacuated Oslo, announced that the German Ambassador at 5 a.m. both verbally and in writing told him that Norway should place herself under German military administration and should not oppose occupation, explaining that if the Germans did not the Allies would.

Professor Koht replied that the Government did not think the Allies had any such intention. The Government thereupon met and decided that it could not accept the German demands, infringing its sovereignty. The official German agency says that in Copenhagen “a special session of the Danish Cabinet decided to acknowledge the German protection under protest and to accept the terms of the German Note, The occupation of Jutland was carried out without incident. The population was quiet and submitted graciously.”