THE IMPERIAL FORCES

Evening Star, Issue 23560, 26 April 1940, Page 7

THE IMPERIAL FORCES

TWO MILLION MEN UNDER ARMS DISLOCATION OF INDUSTRY AVOIDED (British Official Wireless.) Pres* Association —By Telegraph—Copyright RUGBY, April 24. Man-power for tho Imperial fighting services is already mounting high. Excluding those serving in the Navy, the marines, mercantile marines, and the B.A.F. the British Empire already has 2,000,000 men under arms although those following occupations vital to the war effort have not been allowed to join the colours and many who volunteered for service have been returned to industry. Despite compulsory army service being alien to the British tradition, the National Service Act, which extended the scope of the pre-war Military Training Act and made liable for service all men between 118 and 41, has been welcomed by the whole country as a necessary part of the campaign against Nazi aggression. Neither can the importance of the Military Training Act- which became law in May, 1939, and for the first time in history introduced the principle of compulsory service in peace time, be over-emphasised. Thia legislation laid 1 the foundation for raising the new war armies and instituted orderly machinery for absorbing large numbers of new recruits, thereby avoiding the dislocation both to vital industry and the fighting services themselves which was experienced in the earlier part of the last war. COMMISSAR FOR NORWAY : i LATEST REICH APPOINTMENT. ATTEMPT TO ESTABLISH GERMAN \ SOVEREIGNTY \ BERLIN, April 25. (Received April 26, at 9 p.m.) Herr Terboven has been appointed Reich Commissar for Norway,-marking the beginning of unrestricted German sovereignty in the captured territory. Hitherto the Norwegians had more or less carried on the civil administration. adequately armed and not supported by anti-aircraft, field guns, or aircraft, and facing crack German regulars. The British were driven back three .miles south of Stenkjaer. The correspondent describes this as a major military blunder. Nearly half the force, which was the vanguard of the AllW, became casualties or were captured. 1 Other reliable American opinion believes the foregoing should be treated with the greatest reserve. PROMPT DENIAL REPORT A DISTORTION OF FACTS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 25.. (Received April 26, at 1 p.m.) The War Office announces that reports to the effect that a British force in Norway had been cut to pieces and forced to withdraw in disorder is a distortion of facts. The account presumably relates to the incident already referred to in recent The facts are:— An advanced detachment of a larger, force pushed forward towards Trondheim from the direction of NSRnsos. The Germans, moving reinforcements by water inside Trondheim Fiord, threatened ’to cut off the advanced troops from their main body. They therefore withdrew, but were not followed up by the enemy, who are now reported to be digging in at the head of the fiord. "Our troops suffered some loss. UNCOMPROMISING STAND KING HAAKON'S PROCLAMATION STOCKHOLM, April 25. King Haakon issued the following proclamation: “ The Norwegian Government and the King will not accept any other issue from the present -situation than the complete German withdrawal from Norway.” NAZI INVASION EVIDENCE OF CAREFUL PLANNING (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 25. (Received April 26, at 11.15 a.m.) It has now been definitely established that German military supply ships were lying at Bergen for four Weeks awaiting for an attack on Norway. Three ships of about 1,000 tons each were at anchor in Pudde Fiord from the second week in March, carrying, arms and ammunition and with German soldiers on board. Two flew the Finnish flag and one the Swedish flag, Germans who tried to make friends with tho ■ Norwegians are known to have boasted of the care with which the invasion was planned.