ALLIED SEA POWER IN MEDITERRANEAN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 86, 13 April 1940, Page 7

ALLIED SEA POWER IN MEDITERRANEAN

( British Official Wireless 1 Received April 12, 6.5 p.m. RUGBY, April 11. In the course of his speech in the House of Commons, Mr. Churchill, referring to the strength of the Allied navies, said: “We have enough to maintain control of the Mediterranean at the same time as we carry on all our operations in the North Sea.”

suffered. Four cruisers nearly half of Germany’s pre-war strong.h and much more than her now existing strength—-had been sunk and some destroyers and several more U-noats destroyed—all since Sunday. The German Navy was thus deeply mutilated. In addition, British submarines had taken heavy toll from all German „ transports and storeships crossing to Scandinavia. All German ships in the Skagerrak and Kattegat would be sunk. Already a dozen ships, some of largo tonnage, had been sunk or captured there or in the North Sea. Gain to Allies The House heard with satisfaction Mr. Churchill’s assurance that in the considered view of the Admiralty the Allies had in a strategic and military sense greatly gained from the error ol Hitler in spreadir.-; the war to Scandinavia, which Mr. Churchill compared with the mistake committed by Napoleon when he invaded Spain. Mr. Churchill had described how the existence of the “geographical and legal covered way” down Ihe Norwegian coast had been the greatest impediment to the Allied blockade. Warships moved up and down it. as they thought convenient. U-boats used it as they thought fit and stray German liners and merchant ships trying to get. back to Germany from outer seas sought cover there for its 800-milo length. So he put first among the advantages which Hitler’s wild gamble had bestowed on the Allies the fact that, “this accursed corridor was now closet* forever.” In this way, Hitler had doubled the efficiency of the Allied blockade. Further, he had made a whole series of commitments upon the Norwegian coast for which he would have to fight if necessary during the whole summer, for by violating the independence and soil of Norway he had enlisted against him a virilepeople canable of maintaining in a large, wild, mountainous country- - full of positions where free men could shelter and fight-and with the British and French aid, prolonge:! reststance. For the future the British could take what they wanted of th: Norwegian coast. “Germany obviously nefeis TO strike the weak rather than 1;V strong, therefore all small neighbours L were and still are high y alar me 1. said Mr. Churchill. “Even neutrals who have done most to placate Germany and have been oi the gieate. t aid to Germany could not feel sure they would not be attack'd withoiii. reason or without warning and speen ly over-run, reduced to bondage and ' pillaged of all their property, especial]' .di eatables. Request to Norwaj. In the smad hours of Monday morn- . ing we learned that Denmark and i Norway had drawn unlucky numbers ■ in the sinister lottery. The Allies in the last war were so deeply injure I . by the German use of tne Norwegian corridor that England, Fiance and the United States induced Norwegians TO lay a minefield in temteria l waters. , The Admiralty, after the outbreak of > the war, brought this moderate respectable precedent to the a’.ten Hon uf Norway. Our Government urged it to allow the establishment of a minefield in Norwegian waters to compel traffic to come to the open sea. It was on?y a natural right. The Government had long been most reluctant to incur topi’oach, even technically, for wolating international law. but it be ame intolerable to watch, week after week, iron ore being transported through ihe corridor for the manufacture of shells to strike down th< young men of England and France in the 1941 campaign. The Government ultimately de- ; cided to interrupt the traffic along Ihe ' Norwegian corridor, but every precau- > tion was taken against the slightest • danger to neutral ships and a loss cf I life. It can be proved without doubt ■■that the German troop movements beI Igan before the laying of the Allied l I minefields.