IRON ORE TRADE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23617, 29 March 1940, Page 8

IRON ORE TRADE

NORWEGIAN WATERS GERMAN PLAN FAILS USE OF SMALL VESSELS (Received March '2O. 115 a.m.) STOCKHOLM. March 2S hi an effort to defeat the intensified British blockade of iron ore shipments to Germany, the Nazis have commissioned a number of small tramp steamers whose shallow draught enables them to hug the Norwegian coast during tho voyage from Narvik. However, the tramps are badly equipped find the loading time is increased, with the result that there is a queue of empty steamers waiting for berths. British warships are reported to bo standing by outside Narvik. The Swedish press "gives prominence to the Allies' reported intention to cut off the German ore traffic in Norwegian waters, and express fears of possible German reprisals. The Berlin correspondent of the newspaper Tidningens says it is expected neutral Powers will shortly treat British armed merchantmen as warships and only allow them to remain 24 hours in neutral harbours. SWEDISH SCORN HITLER'S "IRON ARMY" INACTIVITY CRITICISED MANY PEACE APPEALS STOCKHOLM, March 27 Tho Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter. in a remarkably outspoken article, scorns tho German Army. The writer says: "Hitler often described bis Army as the best in the world in every respect, and in contrast with the ex-Kaiser's badly led and badly equipped armies. "But five weeks after the outbreak of the war in 1914 the raggle-taggle Germans stood at the gates of Paris, while Hitler's iron Army in six months of war is still standing on the frontier bombarding the enemy with peace appeals. "No trace is seen of the RussoGernian measures with which Hitler threatened the Allies last October. "As a military threat to the Western Powers, the Soviet is something like a ghost in daylight—not very terrifying. Even German submarines have left enemy shipping alone for a whole week and have sunk eight neutral vessels instead." MALAYAN WATERS POSSIBLE ENEMY RAIDERS (Received March 20, 1.20 a.m.) SINGAPORE, March 2S Bear-Admiral T. B. Drew, in a speech to the Rotary Club, said there was a possibility that raiders and submarines might reach Malayan waters. He recalled the last war, when submarines were built in Canada, transported to England and assembled there, and added: "There is no reason to suppose other nations cannot equally adapt themselves to such a policy."

SWISS TERRITORY GUIDES FOR AIRMEN BASLE. March 27 Under an unofficial agreement the French and Germans have installed "electric lighthouses" on the banks of the Rhino six miles north of Basle in order to warn their own and enemy airmen of the position of Swiss territory.