Evening star., 1940-04-09
Norwegians Here
See Test Of British
Control Of Seas
Fiercest Navel Warfare
Since Nelson's Day
Is Predicted
BY BLAIR BOLLEs.

heard the news Of the German IN.
vasion through telephone call from
the State Department at midnight.
viewed the developments of the
night as the forerunner of major
test Of Britain's control Of the seas.
Naval warfare was expected Of q
unknown since Admiral
Horatio' Nelson turned back the
threat to BritAin's control
during the Napoleonic wars.
Not since Lord Nelson's day has
the naval front been so clearly
If the Germans should be
able to range their navy along the
Norwegian coast. stretching for 300
miles from the Skaggerak to the
Arctic, the German and British
navies will be face to face.
The British test would be whether
it could prepare the way for British
occupation Of Norway, the German
test whether it could hold Norway
as a raiding base against the British
Isles themselves.
Says Norway Will Resist.
The war between Germany and
Norway itself is not expected to
amount to much, although an at
tache at the Norwegian Legation,
beautiful, new, white building at the
corner of Massachusetts, avenue and
Thirty-fourth street NV, insisted
that his nation would resist the Ger
man aggression with all the power
at his command. This power Is slight
Until the German-Polish war opened
European hostilities on September
Norway's budget provided that only
10 per cent of its expenditures &c
for defense purposes.
Since September l Norway has
been spending so per cent of all her
governmental outlay on military
needs.
Norway's problem apparently is
less a military matter than an eco
nomic problem for the present
Norway's food supplies depend
chiefly on the trade route to Eng
land.
AS for TIE Danes, Povl Bang
Jensen, young Attache in charge OF
the legation in the absence of Min
lister Kaufman, said the national
flag would continue to fly over the
building despite the German occupa-
ton.
1--WE shall stay here" Mr.. Bang
Jensen said. The Danish flag and
arms will still be out there in 'front.'
Danish Legation Nearby.
The Danish Legation is 10 blocks
east of the Norwegian Legation on
Massachusetts, avenue. Next door to
it is the Czech Legation, which still
flies the Czech flag despite the dis
appearance of Czecho-Slovakia as
a free nation.
The building occupied by the
Danes has a dark past. 1t was the
Austria Legation until Austria dis
appeared within the German orbit
two years ago. The Danes bought
the building from Germany. t
Mergenstierne Sees Welles.
Minister Morgenstierne-who has
represented Norway here since june
8, 1884, and who is one of the closest
friends in the diplomatic corps Of
Minister Procope Of Finland-was
busy most Of the night after news
reached him from the State Depart
ment.
At about 10 am. he drove of tc
the State Department. There he
conferred with Undersecretary
Welles for Is minutes. He told the
press he came in search Of informa-
ton.
Its terrible thing" was all the
comment he offered.
He missed by half a minute 9
meeting at the State Department
with Hans Thomson, Charge DAT.
flares of the German Embassy.
sthe Norwegian diplomat emerged
from Undersecretary Welles' Office
on the second floor Mr.. Thomson
with a consular official from New
York he was introducing to 8
member of the State Department
staff, walked down the stairs. The
door and the staircase are scarcely
IS feet apart.
Norway's own defense system CEN
ters around four fortresses-at Oslo
(already lost, Oscarsborg, Bergen
and Agdenes-with the fortress OF
Kristiansand in reserve. Under nor
NAL conditions, Norway relies on a
national militia as an army, with
universal and compulsory service for
short periods for all men between 18
and IS.
Country Mountainous.
Since the Polish war opened Nor
ways military purchases have en-
phasized anti-aircraft guns. Nor
ways coast is irregular, and the
country is SO mountainous that any
decisive action by land troops is
discounted among Norwegians as q
practical impossibility.
The pre-war navy was developed
wholly for the purpose of defending
the Norway coast and was never
planned for withstanding any sea
force of the size OF Germany's OF
Britain's.
1t consists Of four ancient 1000
ton vessels-the Harald Haarfagre
the Tordenskjold, the Norge and the
Eidsvold. There Is q minelayer, s
destroyers, 8 first-class torpedo boats
and IA second-rate torpedo boats
9 submarines, 6 fishery protection
vessels and about 20 other ships.
Norway's economic problem arises
from the fact that above
all she is shipping coun-
try. One fortunate aspect, how
ever, of her shipping business is
that Norway enjoys the financial
fruits of the operations of scores OF
Norwegian tramp ships which never
touch in Norway waters. They ply
all. the seas, and the profits 60 to
Norway.
Pioneers in Many Waters.
In this way Norwegian ships have
been pioneers in many waters, and
through efficient and reliable service
they have materially assisted In
paving the way for modern culture
and commodities to many remote