KEEPING MUM

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 92, 18 April 1940, Page 11

KEEPING MUM

BRITISH AUTHORITIES

WHEREABOUTS OF TROOPS

NAZIS' THOROUGH INVASION PLANS

(British Official Wireless.) (Received April 18, 10.30 a.m.)

. RUGBY," April 17. It is apparent from their official and semi-official statements that the Germans are by no means fully informed of the whereabouts of the landings and subsequent movements of the Allied troops in Norway. ;In these circumstances the reticence of the British author:":r:> in wiihho'rH^ information is fully appreciated here. The veil was slightly lifted by the French Prime Minister's announcement that Allier! troops had made, contact with Norwegian troops and that further contingents were on the way, but there is no expectation that early disclosures of a morel specific character will be made.

The thoroughness of the preparations for the. German onslaught on Norway is now being revealed, and the' fact that agents were waiting at landing places to put themselves at "the disposal of the German troops on their arrival has served to put other neutrals on their guard. In countries in southeastern Europe in particular the authorities are stated to be on the alert and are carefully watching the movements of possible German agents. The similarity of the technique adopted by Germany towards Norway to that employed in the earlier aggressions is noted in "The Times," which Recalls that Herr yon Ribbentrop preceded the invasion of Poland with a diatribe against the Polish Government for rejecting "reasonable terms" which in fact they have not yet even seen. "A very similar method seems to have been used against the Norwegians," it states. "In the small hours of Tuesday morning last week the Nazi Minister in Oslo presented himself at the Foreign Office with twelve demands with which it was urgent that the Norwegian Government should instantly comply. In consideration for their acceptance, it .appeared that the Nazis would 'protect' Norway against the alleged diabolical designs of Britain and France, since Germany 'still tried to defend the rights of neutral countries.' From study of the text of the ultimatum to Norway, it appears that the only. right of neutral countries is the right to abject servitude under the Nazi heel, and the Norwegian Government naturally rejected the terms with contempt. ,•..-. "But what shows the familiar technique is the time-table. Dr. Bauer presented the Nazi demands at 5 o'clock in the morning. German warships had. already been sighted at midnight and fighting had begun between them and the Norwegian , coast defences soon after half-past three. In fact, Cabinet was already assembled to discuss the conduct of the war in being before Dr. Bauer arrived with the conditions on. which the Nazis were prepared to pre* serve peace. There is no reason whyj further victims should be taken in."