Evening star., 1941-09-10
Spitsberqen

The Anglo-NOrse expedition to
Spitsbergen is a spectacular episode
which reveals the ever widening
scope of this truly world war. Off
hand, the 2,5O0-mile round trip of a
mixed force of British, Canadians
and free Norwegians, under Canadian
command, to a deSolate group of
Arctic islands lying only 750 miles
from the North Pole would not seem
worth the trouble and expense in
volved. The tangible objective was
the wrecking of coal mines which
are SpitSbergen's sole natural wealth,
and which normally furnish fuel to
Northern Norway, some 400 miles to
the southwark. Perhaps there were
other reasons of a strategic nature
which are as yet undisclosed But
the strategic value of Spitsbergen as
a military or naval base is doubtful.
1t does not compare with Iceland in
any respect.
Probably discovered by Morse vik-
ings in the early Middle Ages,
Spitsbergen was rediScovered by the
Dutch navigator Barents in 1896, and
was visited. by that indefatigable eX-
plorer, Henry Hudson, ten years
later During the seventeenth CEN
tury Spitsbergen acquired tempor-
ary Importance as center of whale
fishing, but when the herds were
exhausted, the bleak, mountainous
islands relapsed into obscurity. Not
until the beginning of the present
century did the discovery of rich
coal fields bring Spitsbergen to the
worlds attention once more.
Although claimed by several ma
tions, the islands were still legally
no-man's land. Their international
status was settled by treaty signed
at Paris in 1920, whereby Norway's
claims to sovereignty were recog-
nized. Five years later, Norwegian
administration was formally eStab-
lished. Most of the coal mines were
Norwegian owned and operated, but
minority Russian interests were re-
tanned. Since some of the mines are
worked the year round, there is
small permanent population averag-
ing about 5000 souls. The Nor
wegia1 miners and their families
apparently have been evacuated by
the Anglo-Norse expedition, in fear
of German reprisals and to obtain
recruits for the Free Norwegian
forces. Whether the Russian miners
were likewise taken off is as yet un-
certain. Another uncertainty is
whether any troops were left behind.
Most press dispatches imply that no
garrison was established, but the
account of a Canadian correspondent
indicates that a detachment re-
manned.
If this be the case, 1t soon will be
isolated for the winter, because Splits
bergen is ice-bound for several
months in the year. Lying within
the limits Of the Polar ice pack, 1t Is
accessible even in summer only on
It's western side, where a tongue of
the Gulf Stream opens a stretch of
water for ships This makes the
export of coal commercially profit
able, and the amount Is considerable.
Before the war the average annual
export was around 100000 tons. The
coal Is of excellent quality.
No attempt had been made by the
Germans to occupy Spitsbergen from
their bases in Northern Norway, and
since British sea power controls the
northern ocean beyond the imme-
diate vicinity of the Norwegian coast,
1t seems unlikely that a German
garrison, even If established, could
maintain itself, still less operate coal
ships through a British naval block
ade. Still, the thorough wrecking of
the mines by the Anglo-Norse expe-
dition prevented such a possibility.
What else may be involved in the
affair remains to be seen.