Evening star., 1940-04-15
Naval Guns Spiked,
Mines Disconnected.
Reporter Declares
Vast Plot Let Germans
Walk In Without
Resistance, He Says
Bv LELAND STOWE.

Chicago
STOCKHOLM, April 15-For the first time the story
behind Germanys paralyzing 12hour conquest Of vital
Norwegian ports on Tuesday, April be told Between
midnight and the beWildering day. Norways cap
ta all her principal seapor and her most strategic coastal
defenses fell into German hands like overrpe plum
Norwegian people stunned the Belgian people
must have been stunned in 1914 and most of them still have
not the slightest conception of how this ncomprehensbe
tragedy could have happened
spent these hours in Oo together with the only
American neWspapermen who were on the spot-Warren
Irwin OF National Broadcasng Co. and Edmund Stevens Of
the Christian Science Monitor-and we ourselves could
scarcely believe the evidence of our eyes.
But had to remain in Oslo through
cupacn to learn how this miracle of lightning naval military
occupation made possible could scarcely my
After that with
Irwin and myself decided try somehow to get the border
the only possible detailed of the
astonishing thing that has happened since the second world
began
Ports Seized by Gigantic Conspiracy.
Norways seapors captured by armed
force They seized with unparalleled speed by
gigantic conspiracy which undoubtedly
audacous most perfectly oiled political plots
BY bribery and extraordinary nfraton the part of Na
agents and by part highly Norwegian
civilian defense officials German dictatorship built
Trojan horse inside of Norway Then the
German potters spiked the Norwegian Navy
and reduced its formidable fortresses impotence.
Absolute control of only handful of key administrative
navy to turn the trick and every-
thing had been aessy prepared conspiracy was about 80
per cent according to schedule Only places
by unexpected bitches but Nowav sea gates were already
wide open.
For the of the German pan capture key
cities was essential these being Oslo
known that Navk betrayed
ing officer How Bergens harbor
mystery as far as learn But important
Nazi plot the immediate domination of Oslo
mighty fortrees and the forcing it's virtually
rows at Drobak together with great Norwegian
Only in this penetrate Oslo and
deliver almost reparabe Norways parliamentary gov
ernmen To seize all of Oslo Fjod and force
nave to any foreign except the
Nazl dictatorship astonshngy
than those which used against Austria and the
nconcevable accomplished Until believe
world has had to guess how it was done
Germans Sailed Night of April T.
To understand conspacys 20 back some
where near the climax of the plot learned
reliable authority that ships sailed
from German Norwegian during the night
upper Norwegian coast between
with impressive that the
strongly opposed Fuerer Adolf Hitler the Norway
because they insisted that army Of
occupation in Norway would dangerously and
Naz radical leaders supported Der Fuer
was taken against the regular army counses.
On Friday night, April and trans
ports already streaming toward Norway
occurred IN Oslo and until has probably
never been reported which
invited zoo persons representing Noways influential pesona
ties All the members of the
many officers of the defense leading bankers shipping
executives and ndustriasts emphasized the
OF the soree by reading white ties uniforms and
decorations"
Despite the great formaly imposed, it
Norways to see an unusually interesting
film 1t proved to be the motion picture Baptism
pictng in the most graphic destruction
in Poland distinguished Norwegian
audience sat in icy silence grpped by
scenes Atervard the German Minister
was not but lm since it showed
which elected would
Norwegians left the German Legation that night filled gloomy
ominous thoughts.
Quisling Returned to Oslo April s.
In Oslo learned that Quislng leader Of the
proNazi Norwegian party called Camng now Premier
the so-caed National set after the
occupation, in Berlin the time
and while the expedition being organized returned to
Oslo on Saturday. April On Sunday night the
mine fields below Narvk Monday Berins press famed
against this provocato In the first Tuesday April O.
Norways naval deense betrayed fleet
the first German troops landed Fornebo few
hours after daybreak.
This brings to the methods Fjord and Oslo
itself were captured from the early morning hours Of
April without controlling the vital
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