MOVE NORTH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23995, 19 June 1941, Page 9

MOVE NORTH

GERMAN TROOPS

NAZI-SOVIET DRAMA

"EVE OF DECISION"

FINLAND AND NORWAY (Rml. 0.1.i p.m.) LONDON", Jtino IT The German-Soviet. mystery developed dramatically to-day with Ihe heightening of the tension in the Baltic. Large scale troop movements are taking place on the coast of Norway. and Sweden has accused Finland of complicity in the Gorman plan.

j It is hinted in circles which draw l their information from Berlin that. I Hitler is on the eve of a momentum[decision, and many people expect tlial j®tho next low days will bring unparal- | loled surprises. : Tho Swedish newspaper l)agen« j Xyhoter declares that the calling up of military reserves and evacuation I practice in Finland are coupled with ! reports that German transports are pro- | ceeding via the Gulf of Bothnia to the north of Norway. Finland's Changing Policy i The paper remarks that this indii eates that Finland is appreciably ! changing her neutrality policy, and goes | on to say that when the Finnish repre- | >entative in .Moscow w;i- reproacjied lor I Finland's friendliness toward Germany be is report cd I o have a nswered : " H iiwi-I Icrnia n friend-hip is so eondi- | tional that Finland's. neutrality policy has reached a problematical stage.'' All reports indicate that the Germans are concentrating large military and naval forces on the west coast of Nor-

way. If is stated that many troops and marines have passed westward from Oslo, and that ships, including transport vesxols, are constantly moving through the Skager-Rak.

The coast of Norway is now a fully prohibited area. "Russia on the Verge" The Moscow radio has announced a large-scale drive for militia training of Russian youth in Bessarabia. Rumania is feeling the effects of the war nerves; a blackout has been imposed all over the country, and petrol restrictions have been tightened. The Daily Mail says that Russia is

"on the verge," although she may yet yield to German economic demands. Stalin would then build up his resources for a war of revenge against Germany while the Germans were faced with Britain and the United States in other fields. Germany, the paper concludes, may therefore be taking the view that ii is necessary to destroy the Soviet Army now. HITLER'S MOTIVES LONDON SPECULATIONS RUSSO-GERMAN MYSTERY LONDON, June 18 Conflicting tales of German intentions regarding Russia are received here with reserve. Reports of German troop concentrations on the Russian frontiers, which have not been specifically denied by official Moscow statements, may be accounted for in various ways. Hitler may be following his wellknown technique of trying to enforce economic concessions by a show of armed might without the need of lighting at all. Alternatively, he may be carrying to its logical conclusion the plan laid down in "Mem Kampf" for the shattering of Russian military power.

There may be other equally valid reasons in the Nazi mind. One of them might conceivably be an effort .to confuse not only British and American leaders, but also their peoples, by a gigantic diversion in the East and thus weaken their resolution in the battle of the West. Such a manoeuvre is doomed to failure, as it is well understood by the democracies. Their task is the destruction of Nazism—nothing less. Imposing efforts by Hitler in other fields, even if followed by spectacular results, leave that task unchanged and unimpaired. Relentlessly, in the words of Mr. Churchill, Britain will fight the Germans wherever she finds them, whatever the result of the present situation in German and Russian relations. Britain, while interested to see whether Hitler succeeds in his fresh "double cross." will not permit her war effort to be affected in the slightest degree. AUSTRALIAN OFFICIAL ARRIVAL IN WASHINGTON tßrrd. 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Juno 18 The secretary of Australia House, Mr. .John C. Duncan, has arrived from London. He stated that his visit was for consultative purposes. He intends to arrive in Australia in July, and will remain there for two months, returning to London via America. He conferred with Mr. R. G. Casey, Australian Minister in Washington, and State Department officials, but declined to give details of the discussions.