Evening star., 1940-04-30
Stockholm.
Continued From, First Page)

this approach to snasa, at the
northern end of the lake.
Correspondents who talked to
Norwegian officers said that their
total losses here in the past few days
have amounted to about 80 men,
while British losses have been sper-
haps heavier"
Some Norwegian sources said that
at least 200 Germans had been killed
in a single day on the Steinkjer
front.
The Norwegians said the allied
position in this area had been great.
ly strengthened recently by the ar
rival of British fighting planes,
which lessened the pressure the Ger
mans have been exerting from the
air.
The Tdningen correspondent
quoted one British staff ofiicer as
saying the allies were hopeful that
they might be able to break through
at Steinkjer and drive the Germans.
out of Trondheim in the next three
weeks. but he cautioned against un-
due optimism.
The same correspondent asserted
that the Germans had been making
nse OF submarines to bring REIN
forcements through the British
fleet guarding the approaches to
Trondheim.
He declared that British air raids
had done considerable damage to
the airport at Varnes near Trond-
helm and that the Germans had put
about 1000 of the male population
to work making repairs. Those
who volunteered we're paid for their
services. while those who refused
were impressed, the correspondent
said.
Levanxer = Dead Town.
The town of Levanger, halfway
between Trondheim and Steinkjer.
which was the scene of heavy fight
ing 10 days before the British fell
back to their present positions. was
described as dead town, virtually
deserted by its inhabitants.
Reports from Narvik, Norway's
iron ore port in the Far North, in
dicated the situation there was un-
changed, with the German garrison
surrounded by British and Norwe-
gian troops.
The Swedish author, Arthur
Lundquist, returning to Sweden
from Narvik, where he was visiting
when the Germans landed, said the
Nazis had forbidden the civilian
population to leave, believing their
presence would prevent a British
bombardment.
New Swedish Defense Loan.
Swedes, relying on a policy of
armed neutrality" to keep the war
next door from spreading their way,
rushed to subscribe to a new de-
fense loan of 100000, 900 kroner
(about $118,500,0OO. Indications
were that the loan would be SUBJ
scribed in short order.
An official announcement dis
closed that German-Swedish trade
discussions in Stockholm had been
completed but that they would con.
tinue In Berlin on the basis of agree
ments thus far reached.
The announcement brought to the
fore the question of Swedish iron ore
shipments to Germany via the Gulf
OF Bothnia, which are expected to
be resumed as soon as the route is
clear of ice.
It was obvious that Sweden. tryine
to avoid playing favorites, was con-
cerned lest her iron mines at Kiruna
eventually become a bone of con-
tention between Germany and the
allies.
Defenses Strengthened.
To meet any possibility, she has
strengthened her defenses along her
northern frontier facing Norway.
Her navy also will be reinforced
soon by four destroyers purchased
from Italy.
The Swedish attitude was summed
up by the Stockholm newspaper
Svenska Dagbladet, which pointed
out what unarmed neutrality had
brought to Norway and Denmark
and declared that Sweden, relying
on its strengthened defenses, is in
destructibly determined now as be-
fore to follow the same clear
course"
For that aim," the paper said,
"our united people are ready to
make every sacrifice"
Stockholm will witness a unique
| event tomorrow when the nations
major political parties unite in a
general defense celebration.