AMAZEMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 30 April 1940, Page 5

AMAZEMENT

RIBBENTROP’S LIES

British press comment.

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright). “*•

RUGBY, April ,28. The reaction of the Sunday press to. Herr von Ribbentrop’s speech is one of amazement at the extent and degree to Avhich Plerr von Ribbentrop not only departs from the truth but with complete abandonment recites utter falsehoods in his' account of the' events leading, to the German invasion of Norway.

The “Sunday Times” Avrites: “The neutral Avorld will approach with natural scepticism von Ribbentrop’s fantastic attempts to demonstrate that Germany invaded Norway only to forestall a previously prepared invasion by Britain. He says that on April Bth., when Britain announced the mining of certain Norwegian Avaters, British forces were already being transported through the North Sea. The question naturally presents itself, Avhy, then did they not get to Nonvay Avitli or before the Germans? The ans Aver is that in the meantime parts of the British troop transports Avere attacked and destroyed by the German air force.

“The fact is, as. announced last Aveek by the British authorities, that from first to last not a single British transport has been successfully attacked. Von Ribbentrop lias invented the destruction of a non-existent transport because in no other Avay Avould be explain their non-existence.

“After the invasion of Denmark and Norway on April 9th. by the German forces, the Allies prepared a counterstroke, hut it was nearly a Aveek before they could begin landing men in Norway. They Avere only able to do so then because early' in March they had collected an expeditionary force for Finland.

“Following one of the shabbiest German traditions, von Ribbentrop trijjf, to impute guilt to his victim, Norway,' on the, strength of alleged captured documents. This, it will be remembered, was exactly what Germany tried to do against Belgium in the last Avar. Nobody but her own credulous people ,and partisans was convinced then or will be noAV. In both cases an innocent country lias been scrupulously neutral and in both cases Germany has profited by her brutality to overrun and snatch, and in both she has had the incredible meanness to bring a lying charge against her victims.”

In this connect,ion, the Swedish radio announced on Sunday morning that the Norwegian News .Agency had published a protest against this allegation bv v«n Ribbon trap—-that Britain had negotiat. ed with Norway for the acquisition of military bases in Norway. Since the outbreak of war, it-asserted, Norway had made every endeavour to observe strict neutrality and when Germany offered to help - Norway against alleged aggression from Britain, King Haakon and his Government and people refused, as acceptance would have been inconsistent, with Norway’s neutrality 7. Norway’s protest states, therefore, that she is not. surprised that Germany should now try to find an excuse for her own aggression.

British observers watch with interest the contradictions in which Nazi propaganda has become involved in its laboured efforts to justify the German attack on Norway. One example of many is the affirmation in the preface to the bogus documents published by von Ribbentrop on Saturday: “The Norwegian Government was ready from the beginning not only readily to accept any violation of its neutrality byBritain, but also to join hands with Britain.”

If. this were true —and. of course, it has no vestige of truth —how misinformed the Nazi Government must have been about the Government and country which in its first explanations of its sudden and treacherous aggression it represented it was taking “under GernVaiiy’s protection to prevent hostile attack.” The,Nazi Government was not misinformed. Tile first explanations and the new explanations of the Nazi invasion of a neutral neighbour are in the British view alike mere'y 7 calculated compositions of allegation and inference invented to serve the purpose of the hour. Tt seems that Nazi propaganda, lost in admiration of its. own versatility, has now entirely forgotten the importance of consist-