Evening star., 1940-04-08
Mine Fields 5own
Al Three Points in
Norwegian Waters
OsIo's Minister to
London Understood to
Have Filed Protest
Dy the Associated Press.

LONDON, April 8.-Allied naval
forces drove into Norwegian terri
torial waters today and at three
strategic points off the rugged coast
sowed minefields to sever Germany's
'lifeline" for Scandinavian iron ore.
The automatically disclosed to
Norway early today in British and
French notes after minelayers had
completed their silent task-brought
swift consideration by Norway's
Parliament of protest and rum
bllngs in Berlin of "far-reaching"
and tremendous" consequences.
Norwegian Minister E. A. Colban
called on Foreign Secretary Lord
Halifax at the foreign Office today
and was understood to have pro-
tested against the mine-laying.
The stroke was the allies most
spectacular in their war to strangle
German economy.
The minelaying was begun at
dawn and completed within one
hour, and, the British said. Norway
was notified as soon thereafter as
was practical"
Authoritative sources emphasized
that the operations were carried
through without incident" They
added that the action was taken
solely against Germany.
Force Ships on to High Seas.
The minefields. it was said, were
merely laid to force coastal shipping
to pass outside Norwegian territorial
waters at three points. That would
halt German ships which have been
plying back and forth within terri
torial limits, compel them to risk
allied capture by ventNring on to the
open sea or the peril of mines.
Norwegian and Swedish sources
In London said that, although the
mines might seriously cut the flow
OF Swedish ore to Germany for the
next month and a half, arrange
ments could be made to divert the
entire trade to the Baltic-where
Germany's Navy is supreme.
The greatest difficulty, the Swedish
and Norwegian informants said,
would not be in shipping ore from
Lulea. in the Gulf of Bothnia, but
In Germany's receiving it.
"Stettin is the only German port
on the Baltic capable of handling
such Shipments said one we'll
informed Norwegian.
Prime Minister Chamberlain is
scheduled to make statement in
the House of Commons tomorrow
on the mine-laying.
Warships Posted as Guards.
A joint British-French statement
warned shipping that mines have
been sown in the three areas off the
Norwegian coast and that British
warships have been posted as a
temporary guard to keep unsuspect-
Ing neutrals from the danger zones.
All the mined areas are south of
Narvik, the iron ore shipping point
from which cargo ships have been
tracing the Norwegian coast bound
for Germany, within the protection
OF territorial limits.
In response to queries as to what
would happen if Norway swept up
the mines, statement authorized
for publication pointed out that
'they can be laid again.
On the other hand, the statement
said, should Germany herself dare
to undertake such an operation the
British Navy would welcome an en-
gagement."
ENJOYS Home From Balkans.
Disclosure of the mine laying in
Norwegian waters came while Brit
ish officials studied ways of slam
ming shut Germanys Balkan back
door," leak in the blockade through
which Germany gets Oil and wheat.
British ENJOYS home from Central
and Southeastern European capitals
were called to the Office of Lord
Halifax to discuss diplomatic and
trade offensive to shut Germany off
from her supply sources.
The economic big push turned
also toward campaign for few i'm
ports from the United States of non-
war materials and stepped-up ex-
ports to provide more dollars for
buying war supplies abroad.
Reported slated for trimming were
Hollywood-made movies, to save
some Of the more than S30,O00,O00
paid for American films each year.
Scotch whisky will be released in
greater quantities to quench Ameri-
can thirsts and bring home dollars
for buying warplanes.
The mines were laid in small but
vital areas close to the Norwegian
shoreline. Each commands a fjord
and port.
The most important mined zone
against which shipping was warned
lies in the vicinity of Bodoe, outside
the entrance to Vestfjord and
Narvik.
1t is the northernmost, but all
three lie north of the main European
shipping routes.
The southernmost is off Stadt-
land at the entrance to Nordfjord
and ITO miles north of Bergen. The
third is 120 miles to the northeast,
of Kristiansund, in the region Of
Bud.
The two governments dramatic
statements, broadcast to their en-
pires, disclosed the mine-laying and
arrangements made "for the limits
of the area to be patrolled by Brit
ish naval vessels until a period of
48 hours has elapsed from the lay
ing Of the first mine in each area"
The British and French note to-
day closely followed another handed
to Norway and Sweden last Friday
night in which the allies were un-
derstood to have outlined their con-
ception of Scandinavian neutrality
AS justification for the mines