Evening star., 1940-04-09

by the Norwegian government 6
Everything went according to plan,
1t was said.
Move Across Border.
German land forces moved across
the border into Denmark less than
"a hours after British warships
sowed mines on the west Norwegian
coast.
AS the troops marched, Germany
laid mine fields of her own "for the
protection" of the German opera
tions.
I'm order to counteract British
aggression under way against the
neutrality of Denmark and Nor
way" said an official communique,
German armed forces have as
sumed the armed protection of these
states.
For this reason strong German
forces of all army units entered and
landed this morning in these two
countries.
For protection Of these opera
tions extensive mine barriers have
been laid.
For months England and France
have attempted to make a new bat
tlef1eld out of Scandinavia. -
"As a forerunner of the intended
occupation of important Norwegian
points, the English government yes
terday invalidated Norwegian SOW
ereignty. The Norwegian govern
ment answered with q lame protest
only.
'The German government, how
ever, does not intend on her part
only to protest against this British
breach of international law. There
fore, today she took those steps nee
essary to take Northern Europe def
nitely out of the British plans for ex-
tending the war = ="
In blistering statement, deliv-
cred personally to assembled press
representatives of many nations,
Foreign Minister Joachim Won Rib
bentrop charged the western powers
with plotting to extend the war to
the north and declared that the
Reich had assumed responsibility
for protecting Scandinavian neu-
trality.
As he spoke, the Nazi high COM
mand broadcast q proclamation as
suring Norway and Denmark that
Germany has no designs on their
independence and urging them to
accept as friends the German troops
already pouring over their frontiers
by land and sea.
The assurance that the Reich is
not dealing with the Scandinavian
countries as enemies was passed on
to the German public in another
broadcast by Propaganda Minister
Paul Joseph Goebbels.
The news agency said that Ger
man motorized units had crossed the
Danish border near Flensburg and
Tondern early this morning and
were proceeding in the direction Of
Esbjerg and Appenrade, on the west
and east coast, respectively.
Gives New Sea Base.
The net effect of the northward
advance, DNB said, was to give
Germany a sea base on the Baltic
side of Denmark and blockade the
North Sea approach to south Danish
ports.
Ships of all nations were warned
in an official statement that Ger
man war vessels had laid mines
during the night around all impor-
tant Norwegian and Danish west
coast ports and in the Skagerrak,
strategic entrance to the Baltic.
The warning added that pilot sta
tions had been established of the
Norwegian coast, and that arrange
ments would be made to provide
peaceful ships" with a passage
through the prohibited areas"
Won Ribbentrop's appearance be-
fore the foreign press, in which he
explained the reason for Germany's
lightning moves during the night,
was his first since the beginning Of
the war.
A German military communique
said:
"The advance of German troops
in Jutland toward the north and on
the islands is progressing rapidly.
The Danish government instructed
Danish troops to offer no resistance.
The German and Danish COM
mands this forenoon established
mutual contacts.
Occupation of the most impor-
tant objectives in all Norway by
German troops is proceeding rapidly.
The units of all three arms Of
the defense force are cooperating
effectively. At most points a slight
local resistance by Norwegian troops
has ceased.
German air force units have
landed on airports at Jutland and
in Southern Norway"
The second communique said:
I'm the evening of yesterday Ger
man Heinkel combat machines
again attacked with great success
that portion Of the enemy's sea
forces which are lying in Scapa
Flow.
1.-TWO large vessels, including q
battleship, were extensively dam
aged by bombs, and three additional
large ships were considerably dam
aged by bombs which fell nearby.
I'm the course Of the day extern
sive reconnaissance flights were
made over the North Sea to the 65th
degree of latitude Opposite North
ern Norway and also over North
and East France.
1.-TWO British planes, one pursuit
machine and the other . Sunderland