Greymouth Evening Star. MONDAY, MAY 17, 1943. NORWAY’S DAY

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 May 1943, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. MONDAY, MAY 17, 1943. NORWAY’S DAY

*J*HE Big Four, Britain, U.S.A., Russia •and China, so overshadow the other United Nations that there is a widespread impression that these smaller nations do not really count and that some of them are more hindrance than help to the common cause. This estimate may be correct in some instances, but in others it is wide of the mark. Norway, for example, whose national anniversary is being celebrated to-day, has done much to harass the Axis, both in men and material, and promises to do even more when the Allied invasion of the Continent is made. Norway’s geographical position makes her a near neighbour of Germany, and in the .1914-18 war, in which Norway was neutral, it was often alleged that she did not keep too close an eye on German naval movements near her coasts. Be that as it may, there is no question of the Norwegian hostility to the Germans since the latter invaded Norway in April 1940. For sixty-two days, the bitter struggle of arms went on at a cost to

Germany of 100,000 men. A tiny unprepared country with a population of less than three million peo])le faced a great military power. The odds were too great. King Haakon VII. and his Government removed to England and decided to carry on the struggle from abroad, and their main weapon was and is the Norwegian merchant fleet. Germany hoped to gain control of this immense fleet, which has been called Norway’s floating Empire, but it is to the credit of each Norwegian captain and his men that not one of them obeyed Quisling’s instructions to proceed to neutral or Axis ports, but awaited orders from their King and legal Government. Of the Norwegian merchant fleet, of over 1000 ships and its :10,000 sailors. Admiral Land, Chairman of the United States Maritime Commission, has said: “I think it was a British publication which wrote that the Norwegian .merchant fleet was worth as much to the Allied cause as 1,000,000 soldiers. Well, 1 want to say that this is no exaggeration; they are worth far more than a million men.”

The importance of shipping needs no stressing, and the Allies’ difficulties would have been greatly increased had the Norwegian vessels not been available to them. The Norwegians have had to pay a heavy price in the past three years for their loyalty to the Allied cause. Norway has lost about 380 ships, while about 1800 Norwegian sailors have lost their lives through enemy action. Not only does the Norwegian fleet play such a great part in the war effort itself, but it pays also for the upkei'p of Norway’s Government in England, for the maintenance of its army and air force now in training in Scotland and Canada, and for its Royal Navy. Since the war started Norway has built up her navy to 68 ships with a personnel of between five and six thousand Norwegian sailors, and this is now the fourth largest of the United Nations’ navies. It cannot be denied that Norway is a valuable ally, and deserves to be honoured as such.

There will be no official demonstrations in Norway itself, to-day, owing to Nazi opposition, but elsewhere the anniversary will be suitably observed by Norwegians. It was on May 17, 1814, that Norway refused to be taken, over by Sweden, as the sequel to Norwegian support of Napoleon, declaring independence and framing a democratic constitution. Sweden soon asserted mastery over Norway, but permitted her unwilling subjects to retain their new constitution. It was not until 1905, that Norway and Sweden agreed to sever connection, since when Norway had prospered until the Nazi invasion. Admiration of the opposition being offered in these dark days to Nazis and Norway’s Quislings, on the home front, will be coupled with the tributes paid to Norway’s seamen, airmen and others on active service. It is to be hoped that by next May 17, Norway’s freedom will have been completely restored.