Evening star., 1940-04-09
Member of the Associafed preSS
War in Scandinavia

the uneasy neutrality which the
scandinavian countries have sought
to preserve by every means at their
command since the outbreak of war
IN Europe some eight months ago.
Through the veil of censorship
speedily imposed by the invading
forces have come only the most
meager reports of what is happen
Ing in the new war zone. But Ger
tain facts stand out.
Norway has elected to fight. Early
reports of air raids at Oslo, the
evacuation of civilians and the flight
of the Norwegian government from
that exposed capital suggest that
Goering's bombers already may have
struck
Denmark, virtually helpless by
virtue of her geographical position,
apparently has offered no resistance
+ to the Germans. Her non-aggression
pact with the Reich apparently has
become another scrap of paper. Co.
penhagen is reported occupied, but
If there has been any fighting in
Denmark, no reports of it have leaked
through the censorship.
Sweden as yet presumably has not
been involved beyond the mining of
her ports on the Skagerrak and the
Kattegat, but, with fighting under
way in earnest in Norway, the Swedes
would have little chance to remain
at peace.
Attempting to justify her invasion
OF the neutral countries, the German
government has announced from
Berlin by radio that lin order to
counteract the actions against Den
mark and Norway (by Britain and
France) and to prevent a possible
hostile attack against these coun-
tries, the German Army has taken
these two countries under its pro-
lection. The strong forces of the
German Army have therefore in
vaded these countries this morning."
So far as any known acts on the
part of the allies are concerned, this
flimsy pretext appears to be directed
to their action in mining three areas
along the Norwegian coast yesterday
In an effort to intercept shipments
of Swedish iron ore bound for Ger
man ports. But the published facts
are all against Germany.
Obviously, the invasion of Norway
and Denmark was not organized
overnight. 1t must have been in
process of preparation for some
time. Today's developments clear
up the mystery of the German
troopship sunk four miles off the
Norwegian coast yesterday by a
British submarine. This transport
was sunk at about the time the
sallied mines were laid and it is a
reasonable assumption that the
German soldiers had embarked be-
fore the mines were laid. Certainly
they were organized for the advance
Son Norway prior to the mine laying.
These facts destroy GerSlany's at
tempt to justify the invasion as an
sact of retaliation for the laying of
J, the mines. That claim, as has been
the case with so many German as
sosrtions, obviously is absurd. There
L. Of course, no way Of demonstrate
Ing factually the truth or falsity Of
fsthe Reich's further claim that she
STRUCK to ward off possible inva-
sion" of Norway by the allies. But
on the falsity of her other premise,
and on her whole unsavory record
for mendacity, the attempt to i'm
7pute hostile designs to France and
Britain surely will be rejected by
Tworld opinion until such time as
! convincing evidence to the contrary
SIS forthcoming.
I Just what course France and
{ Britain will elect to take. now that
Z the scene of action has shifted to
( the Scandinavian theater, is for them
i to decide. But that they must act
s decisively or face the probable loss
y of the war is apparent, even to the
: amateur strategist.
3 A German occupation of Norway in
force would bring the Reich airmen
to within a scant three hundred
miles of Scapa Flow as compared to
s the six or seven hundred miles which
\ they must fly now to reach that
& target. Almost equally as disastrous
\ for the allies would be the seizure by
=. Germany of the Norwegian naval
base at Bergen, which would greatly
ss facilitate the operations of Hitler's
) submarines and other commerce
Araiders. In fact, unless the British
s move promptly and effectively te
q Norway's assistance, they must resign
? themselves to facing very serious
challenge to their superiority in the
entire North Sea.
/, If the allies still have intact the
u expeditionary force that was not
! sent to Finland's aid, largely because
!. of Norwegian and Swedish objec-