STORY OF A CRIME

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 April 1940, Page 6

STORY OF A CRIME

THE GERMAN INVASION OF NORWAY Fads Set Out in Norwegian White Paper ATTACK PRECEDES PRESENTATION OF DEMANDS IMPRESSIVE AND UNANSWERABLE INDICTMENT (British Official Wireless.) (lieeeived This Day. 11.3;) a.in.) 1(1 GDY. April 22. A translation of the White Paper issued by Norway on April 14 became available in London last night. It tells in impressive, and simple language the story of German aggression against Norway and gives an account of the events which compelled King Haakon and his Government to leave Oslo and finally to set about organising, from an undisclosed centre, resistance by the Norwegians to the German attack. The White Paper, which demonstrates clearly how Norway went to the utmost limit of conciliation, opens with the statement that at 5 a.m. on April 9, Herr Brauer (German Minister) presented to Professor Koht (Norwegian Foreign Minister) a number of demands from his Government and continues: “Several hours before these demands were presented, German forces had already attacked Norway. At about midnight, it was learned that foreign warships had passed Faerder and entered Oslo Fiord and three-quarters of an hour later a report was received that an exchange of fire had taken place between these warships and the Norwegian forts of Bolearne and Hauer. At about 2 a.m., it was learned that five large German warships had passed the outer fortifications of Bergen. At 3.30 a.m. it was reported that two warships bad passed Agdenes and entered Trondheim Fiord. “At the same time, the warships that had entered Oslo Fiord—four large warships and a number of smaller ones—reached Filtvedt and soon afterwards fighting began between these warships and the coastal forts at Oskarsborg. Fighting was thus already in full swing and began also immediately after this outside Bergen.’’ The White Paper then gives a very full summary of the communication made by Herr Brauer to Professor Koht in which Germany sought to justify its claims upon Norway by the pretence that it possessed proof of an intended Allied occupation, announced the seizure of strategic points and formulated a series of demands. It is interesting to note that Herr Brauer was cognisant of the fact that a German expedition had left its home ports before April 8 and made no attempt to represent the German action as a reprisal- for the British mine-laying. A characteristic detail of Nazi technique appears in the White Paper’s account of the rest of the interview with Herr Brauer. When Professor Koht said he must consult the whole Government, E:rr Brauer replied that a decision must be taken urgently, “because German action had already advanced so far that if it were to be arrested, the German demands must immediately be accepted.’’

There was little delay in giving a reply. “The .Norwegian Government quickly decided that no independent country would accept such demands. ’’ .