THREATS CLOSELY CONNECTED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21554, 17 January 1940, Page 7

THREATS CLOSELY CONNECTED

Menacing Tone Of Aggressors

“Neutrals Asking

For It”

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright

(Received January 16, 11.50 p.m.) LONDON, January 15.

The Copenhagen correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says it is generally felt that the Russian threat on Scandinavia and the German threat on the Low Countries are closely connected. It is believed that Berlin and Moscow have divided the neutrals in northern and western Europe into vague spheres or domination, and that the latest events represented the joint Russian-German assault on the Oslo group as a whole and individually. The Wilhelhlstrasse spokesman said: “Belgium and the Netherlands have been asking for this for a long time by their failure to preserve proper neutrality. If they had resisted the British demands the situation would not have arisen.” The Moscow radio again attacked Sweden and Norway, declaring that both openly were helping the Finns. Their behaviour was incompatible with neutrality. They were acting on the advice of others. The Moscow radio states that men born in 1921 and students born in 1922 in their final year of studies must register for military service. Norway and Sweden are protesting to Russia against the violation of their neutrality on Friday and Sunday last. It is sehii-officially denied at The Hague that the British and French Governments spread rumours about the threat to Belgium and the Netherlands. It is added that the Government considers the international situation on information, the origin and reliability of which it can check.