Evening star., 1940-04-27
State Of War Exists
With Norwegians,
Hitler Declares
Woy Is Opened BY Decree
For Use Of himmlers
Police in Occupied Area
~ the Associated Press.

6EkS1AN, Apfll I-AQO0 dlLlef,
in = sweeping proclamation, today
ended the twilight diplomatic status
Of the German invasion of Norway
| by declaring that . state Of war
exists between the Reich and the
Kingdom Of Haakon VII.
Prior to Hitler's surprise move,
shrouded In secrecy like many other
Of his acts, Germany had held the
invasion starting April was to
protect" Norway from similar
step which the Germans accused the
allies Of planning.
Today the, Fuehrer declared that
the Norwegian government itself
had created state Of war" by re-
sisting Germany. Only yesterday
the foreign press had been told In
response to inquiries that no state
Of war existed with Norway.
A decree legaizing the appoint
ment Of josef Terboven as governor
Of occupied areas in Norway re-
vealed the shift In Germany's posi-
ton.
Police Powers Invoked.
Dated April "a, but not published
until today. the decree invoked au-
thority Of the German police in Nor
way, = proviso which seemed espe-
cially significant since 1t opened the
way for Heinrich Himmler's famed
secret police, which were effective
In quelling civilian opposition In
Poland.
Hitler attempted to put blame for
the war on Premier Johan Nys-
gaardsvold's government. saying that
by its acts, conduct and orders for
military resistance it had created
> state Of war between Norway and
the German Reich"
Another clause gave the German
military and civil commands the
right to abrogate Norwegian law
whenever they deem it necessary.
Hitler was careful, however, to
retain for himself all fundamental
decisions regarding Norway. Ter
bowen and the German commander
in-chief In Norway, Gen. Nikolaus
Won Falkenhorst, must operate along
guiding lines laid down by the
Fuehrer or two Of his appointees, DR..
Hans hammers, the secretary of the
chancellery, and Col. Gen. Wilhelm
Keitel, chief Of the high command.
The Norwegian administrative
council, formed in Oslo after the
invasion with Ingolf Christensen as
head, was left in the position merely
to carry out orders from Terboven
and Gen Won Falkenhorst.
"a Norwegian proclamation Is
sued from secret headquarters
declared the council was not rep
resentative Of the legal Norweg-
ian government and that no basis
existed for negotiations with
Germany as long as German
troops remained in Norway
Text Of Decree.
The decree, dated April "A, was
published today. It said:
| The Nysgaardsvold government.
through its proclamation and its
conduct, as we'll as military activity
carried on by its orders. created a
state Of war between Norway and
the German Reich.
I'm order to safeguard public law
and order in Norwegian regions un-
der protection of German troops. I
herewith decree:
Il. Occupied Norwegian regions
are subordinated to the Reich,s
commissar. His headquarters is Oslo.
The Reich's commissar Is the
guardian Of the Reich's interests and
exercises supreme government au-
thority within the civil realm.
=. The Reich's commissar may in
woke the assistance Of the, Nor
weeian Administrative Committee
and Norwegian civil authorities for
carrying out his orders and admin
istering affairs.
/ 3. Section THE existing Law
remains in force in SO far as it i.
compatible with the occupation
Section 2-Decrees will be made
public in the 'Verordnungsblatt fue,
die Besetzten Norwegischen Gebiete
(Omcial Gazette for Occupied Nor
wegian Areas0
u. The commander of German
troops In Norway exercises sovereign
military rights. His demands are
given effect within the civil realm
solely by the Reichs Commissar
In 80 far and as long as the military
situation 50 demands, he has the
right to decree measures necessary