Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-19

tate 10 push an iron Wedge
between the Norwegian ore
ports and German shipping.
To us of the Comintern, fell
the task of preparing the
ground.
My instructions from the
Westbureau demanded that 1
should divert the Communist
forces of the Narvik area
from their preoccupation with
the fisheries and shipping
toward the lockers of Narvik
and the wonders of the Kiruna
railroad.
In case of war, a general
strike and revolt of the dock
ers and railwaymen would
offer a fine preteXt, especially
if the Norwegian government
interviewed against the strik-
ers, for the occupation of the
northland province by the
Red army and the Soviet
navy. Had not Stain himself
publicly declared that the Red
army was the army of world
revolution?
The Communist Party or
ganization of the Narvik area
counted close TO 900 dues
paying members. Party head
quarters had been established
in the building of the Inter-
national Club, created by the
luckless Arthur Samsing in
the Spring of 1881, and it
existed since that date on a
monthly subsidy of $500 from
the Comintern treasury.
A month before my arrival
in Narvik, Knut Bjoerk,
whom l had met in Sweden
and who was later killed in
Spain-had been appointed
the official leader of the Mar
vik district. But holding the
threads behind the scenes
was Doctor Halvorsen man.
Martin Hjelmen.
TRAINED IN ARMY
Hjelmen hailed from Oslo.
He had had military training,
and was a capable organizer.
A man of medium size, with
lively dark eyes, bold features
and a mop of unruly brown
hair, he was one of the rare
Norwegian Communists who
were not drunk and useless
for at least one day each
week.
He spoke English expertly
and had toured America in
earlier years. Collaboration
with a man of Hjelmen's
caliber was for me a high
pleasure. He was honest to
the core. AS a Bolshevik, he
saw Norway's only salvation
in a close alliance with Soviet
Russia. For that he worked.
In numerous conferences l
primed the party workers on
the necessity of turning the
harbor of Narvik and the
Kiruna railway into a Stain
iSt stronghold. Together with
Hjelmen and Bjoerk, / worked
out a detailed plan covering
the next six months of party
activities.
We decided to publish
weekly paper for the Narvik
dock workers. and another
for the railwaymen. We also
decided TO establish perma-
nent observation posts in the
homes of comrades who lived
along the Kiruna railroad
After five intensive days OF
reorganization, / felt that the
future course of our Narvik
units had been shaped. They
were now able to continue
alone. l made ready to leave.
In a town like Narvik. a
stranger who associated with
known local Com nun st s
could not for long escape OBJ
servation by the northland
police.
GESTAPO ACTIVE
Martin Hjelmen was ex-
cellently informed on Nazi
activities in the Scandinavian
countries. The first NaZi
Party groups had been estab-
lished more than a year be-
fore the Reichstag Fire.
Already toward the end of
March, 1888, the Gestapo had
begun to branch out across
the German frontiers. its
agents masked as journalists.
business men, or as anti-Hit-
Ter refugees.
A nameles cruiser had been
Spooking around the Lofot
islands. An organization of