Evening star., 1940-05-03
British Withdrawal
In South Declared
An Expected Move
, Admiralty UnshokeobIe
In Views on Necessity
For Movement
BY PERTINAX.

BY PERTINAX.
PARIS, May 3 (N.AN.A.-By
Radio) Withdrawal of British
troops from the territory south of
Trondheim had been expected for
several days. The dicision to re-
embark them was reached last Fri
day by the British Admiralty. and
the Allied Supreme War Council met
IN London on April u to have it
formally approved by the British
and French governments.
Was it possible to act otherwise? :?
The only answer which can be given
to that question is that the British
Admiralty held unshakeable views
on that subject.
The move is justified on the fol-
lowing grounds: A distinction has
always been made in competent
quarters between the operation con-
Quoted in the northern part of Nor
way, which was carefully prepared,
and the action taken in Central
Norway, north and south of Trond-
helm, which was hastily conceived
IN face of the German invasion
and had to be extemporized to a
large extent.
Aims of Undertaking.
The aim of the undertaking in the
north was, first, to assume control
OF Norway's territorial waters; Sec
ond, to cut off the sea route used by
the Germans to import Swedish iron
ore, and, third, eventually to seize
Narvik, which would open up for
the future wider possibilities.
Those aims are now regarded as
having been fulfilled or are likely to
be. AS to the action in Central Nor
way, it was mainly intended to bring
relief to the hard-pressed Nor
wegian government and people.
The latter endeavor has not been
successful because British troops had
to 60 into battle without heavy arms,
which are required in modern war,
while the German columns, coming
up from Oslo, were amply provided
with them.- And that inequality is
assigned to the three causes
German Air Force Intervened.
No convenient landing place could
be found in the maritime area south
of Trondheim. The German air
forces were able to intervene before
heavy material had been disem-
barked, and the Norwegian Army
for reasons hitherto unknown, failed
to destroy roads, bridges and rail-
road lines in the stretch of country
between Oslo and Trondheim-a
failure which explains why German
troops could advance SO speedily.
It now remains for the allies to
concentrate upon the struggle in
Northern Norway. If the Salonica
front of 1868 can be duplicated
there the British and French will
have fulfilled their essential pur-
pose. Then they will be able to say
that the loss in Central Norway was
merely political and moral. And
that if they tried to rescue Norway
and failed in the attempt they would
have a valid excuse to offer
Norway did not want to call for
their help and didn't turn to the
allies until she already was in the
grip of the aggressor.
Swedish-Nazi Negotiations.
From q trustworthy source a re-
port is available to the effect that
between Germany and Sweden
negotiations are in progress for i'm
proving Sweden's railroad system
and making it capable of carrying
iron ore from Lapland to ports in
the southern Baltic, from where it
could be shipped more safely to Ger
many than from the Gulf of Both
mia.
Will the Stockholm government
adhere to the rule set by the allies
that in wartime exports must not
be increased beyond the figures re-
corded in the normal years?
In general way it can be said
only that the efficiency of Anglo
French diplomacy in Stockholm will
depend upon the strength of the
position held by the allied expedi-
tionary force in Northern Norway.
Paris Less Pessimistic.
Rightly or wrongly. Paris, mean
while realizing the seriousness of
the Italian threat, is less pessimis-
tic than London about the evolution
Of Italian policy in the immediate
future. Until yesterday at any rate,
the best authorities believed that
Germany, in order to compel Italy to
become belligerent, would have to
strike the first blow at Yugoslavia' S
independence and territorial in
tegrity, which would let loose Italy's
military forces on the other side
of the Adriatic.
The hope entertained here is that
two recent developments may help
to persuade Italy and Germany to
steer cautious course. The Anglo
French naval concentration in the
eastern part of the Mediterranean
and the sudden rapprochement of
Yugoslavia and Russia, caught Pre-
mier Mussolini and even Chancellor
Hitler unaware, as it issued from a
negotiation started in Ankara and
carefully concealed That rapproche
ment undoubtedly is fraught with
great political importance.