VILE TREACHERY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 April 1940, Page 5

VILE TREACHERY

PRACTISED BY GERMANS IN NORWAY BRITISH MINISTER’S REVIEW. EVENTS BOUND TO MOVE SLOWLY. (British Official Wireless.) • RUGBY, April 18. Speaking of the situation in Scandinavia, the Financial Secretary to the War Office, Sir Edward Grigg, referred to the treachery whereby the Germans managed to effect an entry into Oslo. Faked orders, he said, were sent to the commanders of the troops and the batteries. The only resistance made to the German ships was by accident, but so effective was it that it was easy to realise how much the Norwegian people had lost by treachery. Despite this and despite the consequent loss of strong points, supplies and equipment, the Norwegian military command was making a gallant resistance to the German pressure. The Allies had already landed forces at several points and these would be increased with all possible rapidity. ■■You must not, however, expect decisive results at the pace at which things move in the cinema,” said Sir Edward. "War is not like that. Results are not secured without careful planning and organisation. “Norway, fortunately for the defenders, is extremely broken and hard to traverse, and the northern part is still deep in snow. The action, therefore, is bound at first to take the form of guerilla warfare, and the news will perforce come slowly. But we have no reason to be dissatisfied with the way in which events have turned since April 9, and we have every confidence that we shall prove before long to be decisive gainers by Germany's perfidious Norwegian adventure.” Dealing with German merchant shipping losses, Sir Edward said it seemed| that 100,009 tons at least of German] merchant shipping had been destroyed since the Germans began their Norwegian adventure.