Evening star., 1940-04-12
Entered As second-class matter post ONCE
washington. .. c.
Battle for Norwuy

AAAS NNAAAAo2A AAAF oo4O4A VI &NOA way,
carried out from all present reports
along lines laid down days in ad-
vance, has provided the occasion for
a test Of sea power which the British
have not known since the first World
War battle of Jutland.
The world does not yet know
exactly what is happening in the
fighting now under way. Winston
Churchill's address before the House
OF Commons yesterday contained
highly interesting account of battle
between the British battle cruiser
Renown and the German battleship
Scharnhorst, but beyond the claim
that eighteen German warships and
transports have been destroyed, the
First Lord of the Admiralty refused
to lift the veil from the action con-
tinuing around the coast of Norway.
The outcome of the battles which
have been raging from Swedish ter
ritorial waters in the Kattegat
around the coast of Norway into the
Arctic is still in doubt, and there is
good military reason for the Ad-
miralty chief to avoid any reference
to the successes of British seamen
until the issue has been decided.
But the ports of Narvik and Ber-
gen appear to have been retaken,
either by NorWegianS alone or with
the aid of British sea forces, and
new naval battle is reported in
progress off the Norwegian coast
near Trondheim, which the Nor
wegians themselves are preparing
to assault.
The final result will determine
whether the Germans gain firm
foothold in the Scandinavian penin-
sula or whether their expedition will
turn out to be strategic blunder on
the part of Adolf Hitler.
In any case, the battle for Norway
is not going to be decisive. If Ger
many succeeds in conquering all Of
the country-to prevent which the
Norwegians themselves are putting
up courageous battle-it will only
provide them with new bases from
which to attack Great Britain. If
Britain succeeds in routing the Ger
man invader from the Scandinavian
peninsula it does not mean that Ger
manys spheres of action are closed.
The attack may shift to the Balkans,
and the demands for policing of the
Danube all the way to the Black
Sea appear to provide Germany with
the basis for an offensive through
Southeastern Europe, which might be
launched if the Scandinavian venture
fails.
AS Mr.. Churchill told the House
Of Commons, the first crunch of
war" is now being felt, but his claim
that the allies are on the road to
victory" appears to be little over
optimistic at this time. Britain and
France are going to need more than
a naval victory in Norwegian waters
to win the war. They are going to
need some land successes as we'll,
and whether these are in the offing
Is problematical.
It might we'll be assumed that a
logical counterpart of the naval ac-
ton will be a drive by either the
Germans or the allies on the western
front, and the French, Dutch and
Belgians are preparing for the re-
spective parts they expect to play
In such action. But so far there has
been no evidence Of such a move,
although it may come with the same
suddenness as the invasion of Nor
way and Denmark.
At any rate, at least one illusion
has been destroyed, namely, that the
German concept Of victory is merely
to defend what Hitler has already
succeeded in wrestling from the lesser
powers of Central Europe. Germany
now appears bent upon a finish fight
with the British and French empires,
fight which will either win for Ger
many world power or relegate it to a
second class position in the Euro
pean community of nations.