BRITISH NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 83, 8 April 1940, Page 7

BRITISH NOTES.

Scandinavian Neutrality Discussed. ATTITUDE MADE CLEAR. LONDON, April 7. Britain has sent Notes to Sweden and Norway clarifying the attitude of the Allies regarding the Scandinavian States' neutrality. The contents of the Notes are not revealed, but it is understood they deal with the situation created by the German threats, as the result of which the Scandinavian countries are no longer free agents. According to the diplomatic correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph," the Notes express the Allies' determination not to allow Germany to profit further from terror tactics against the Scandinavian countries. According to a message from Oslo, the Norwegian Foreign Minister, M. Koht, said in Parliament: "If the Allies want to stop free communication, and if the stoppage is proved to work out against only one party, it would be an open "contradiction of our neutrality and Norway would immediately be in the war." Free passage for merchant ships in Norwegian waters benefited the Allies as well as Germany, said M. Koht. Norway had never been interested in joining" any belligerent. "We cannot think of any war Norway would enter, except for defence of her independence and freedom," he said; Authoritative quarters in Stockholm say the Note to Sweden does not ask for immediate measures by the Governments concerned, nor does it envisage measures by Britain and France.