Evening star., 1940-04-09

trality ip this war and Il was tl,s
duty q the little countries to par
ticipate actively in the tight against
Germany.
This thesis was disseminated
through the propaganda Of the west
ern powers and was supported by
steadily increasing attempts Of po-
litical pressure on neutral states.
Concrete reports Of impending at
tempts Of landing Of the western
powers In Scandinavia lately have
grown by leaps and bounds.
Surprise Occupation
OF States Seen.
If there ever existed the slightest
doubt of the final decision OF the
western powers to intervene In the
North, 1t has been definitely removed
during recent days. The Reich's gov
ernment ts in possession Of unchal-
lengeable documents that England
and France intended to make . sur
prise occupation Of certain regions
Of the northern states In coming
days.
The Nordic states on their part
not only failed to resist earlier trans
gressions of England and France, but
even permitted the most serious in
references with their sovereignty
without corresponding counter
measures.
The Reich's government must
therefore assume that the royal
Norwegian government will adopt
that attitude toward the action Of
England and France now planned
and about to be executed. But even
II the royal Norwegian government
were willing to take counter-meas
ures, nevertheless, the Reich's gov
ernment realizes clearly that Nor
wegian military forces would not
sufiice to oppose the English and
French actions effectively.
In this decisive phase Of war for
existence, forced upon the German
people by England and France, the
Reich's government can under no
circumstances tolerate that Scam
dinavia be converted by the western
powers into . theater Of war against
Germany and that the Norwegian
people be directly or indirectly mis-
used for war against Germany.
Nazis Hope to Protect
Peace in North.
Germany is unwilling to stand by
idly or take lying down such
realization Of enemies plans. The
ReichS government therefore has,
beginning today, set In motion GER
tain military operations which will
lead to the occupation Of strategic
points on Norwegian soil.
The Reich's government thereby
assumes protection Of the Kingdom
Of Norway for the duration Of this
war. 1t is determined from now on,
with its instruments Of force, to
protect peace in the North against
every English French attack and
definitely to render it secure.
The Reichs government has not
desired this development. The re-
sponsibility. therefore, lies solely
with England and France. To be
sure, both states hypocritically pro-
claim the protection Of small states,
but in reality they violate these in
the hope thereby to be able to trans
late into reality their will to destroy
Germany, as proclaimed more open
ly each day.
German troops. therefore, enter
Norwegian soil not in hostile spirit.
The German supreme command
does not intend to use the points
occupied by German troops as op-
erations bases for fighting England
as long as not forced to do 50
through acts Of England and France.
German military operations are
aimed at the exclusive goal Of safe
guarding the Morse against the in
tended occupation of Norwegian
strategic points by English and
French forces. s.,-
The Reichs Government is con-
vinced that 1t serves Norways best
interests also by this action. For
this act of rendering them secure
through Germany's armed forces
gives the sole guarantee to the
Scandinavian peoples that their
countries will not after all become a
battlefield and perhaps the scene Of
the most terrible acts Of force during
this war.
Hope for Understanding
Is Expressed.
The Reichs Government, there
fore, expects the Royal Norwegian
Government and the Norwegian
people to have full understanding
for Germany's procedure and not to
resist In any way. All resistance
would have to be and would be
broken by every available means by
the German armed forces deployed
here, and therefore lead only to
utterly useless bloodshed. The Royal
Norwegian Government is therefore
requested to take all measures with
the greatest speed which are neces-
sary to render certain that the ad-
vance Of German troops can pro-
gress without friction and dinicul-
ties.
In the spirit, long existing, Of good
German-Norwegian relations, the
Reichs Government declares to the
Royal Norwegian Government that
Germany has no intention through
her measures now or in the future Of
touching upon territorial integrity
and political independence Of the
Kingdom Of Norway.
Dated April ., 1910.
(Footnot) This same memoran-
dunn was handed to the Royal DAN
ish Government.