Evening Star Newspaper, April 28, 1940, Page 31

Editorial Page—Features TWELVE PAGES. Allies Engaging in Critical Struggle — Review of Thirty-Fourth Week of War [} Sinews of war in Norway are the railroads. Built by the Norse for peaceful end of binding together the mountain-separated areas of their long, thin, rugged nation, railroads enemy armies approach each other. are the paths now along which the The war in Norway last week became a flerce war, with advancing armies thrown into battle, wavering, then coming on, then wavering, then digging in to hold positions before essaying new advance. Who gets the railroads stands best chance of getting Norway. The issue is far from decided. On land 100,000 troops, more than half of them Germans, the rest the Germans’ enemies, Norwegian, British, French, are engaged in battle. Except for Norwegians, all soldiers are long way from home and supply sources. On sea and from the air both allies and Germans seek to cut the supply lines of their opponents. Thus far the fight in Norway has brought no major engagement. Bloody skirmish and forward rushes are the rule. But both sides draw near posi- tions where they can meet for decisive cgnflict. < on the allies. The Fighting Fronts In Norway are three fronts and each saw action all week long. Far in the north is Narvik, the port for Swedish ore, held by a force of 500 Germans almost surrounded on the French, British and Norwegians and bombarded from Narvik Fjord by British warships. In the center is Trondheim, important port, held by the Germans by three de- stroyers in the fjord along Trondheim'’s main street and by soldiers in the city. From the south the British and the French approach Trondheim from two landing bases, Molde and Andalsnes, and they have reached Storen, 20 miles by rail from Trondheim. From the north the British approach Steinkjer ~ Trondheim from the land- ing base of Namsos. They Debacle reached Steinkjer, 50 miles by rail from Trondheim, but there the Germans threw back their ill-equipped advance guard.-a sorry story given in great detail through The Star by Leland Stowe. At Myra, by Steinkjer, British troops, reinforced since the debacle by French poilus, are dug in. The Germans in Trondheim arrive by air transport, 30 soldiers in each plane. From the south two main columns of German forces are striving to reach tkeir Trondheim comrades. The routes taken by these columns, along the two rail lines connecting Oslo, the Norwegian capital, provide the setting for the third Norwegian battle area. The Germans hold Oslo and all of Norway southeast of Oslo, to the Swedish border, as well as most of Norway to the southwest of Oslo, reaching to the Skaggerack and the Atlantic Ocean. To halt the German advance along the rail lines north from Oslo the British, the French and the Norwegians have sent relatively large bodies of troops. The German advance was steady. Along the eastern rail line, reaching through the Osterdal Valley, the Germans have penetrated to Roros, 75 miles south of Storen. Along the western rail line, reaching through the | Gudbrandsdal Valley, they have arrived | at Ringebu, 150 miles from Storen. Since the German advancé is aimed toward union with Germans in Trond- | heim, the great battle | long expected to center | Battle for Trondheim 2round Trondheim is still in prospect. For the | most part, however, engagements on the Norwegian rough terrain are necessarily limited to small bodies of troops. valleys are narrow and do not permit the use of great forces. Eastward from Trondheim a rail line runs 50 miles to the Swedish borders and then beyond to Storiien. Above this railroad Norway is but a long finger, where mountains push against moun- tains. Trondheim commands the fat, rich stomach of Norway. Last Monday the British rushed north- ward toward this®cross-Norway railroad from their landing base of Andalsnes. It was then they reached Storen. They came southward toward the railroad from Namsos. At first they got to Ver- dalsora, 35 miles north of Trondheim, on the railroad from Namsos and on the highway to Swetlen , The Germans have not bothered the British at Storen. But they made it hot for the trdops from Namsos. < From Nemsos and Andalsnes the Brit- ish were trying to take Trondheim in the same sort of pincers movement which ultimately brought Warsaw to the Germans during the Polish phase of the European war. But the Germans have air strength | which the Polish lacked. On Monday they bombed Andalsnes and Namsos, where mgre British were German landing. Accordtg to AirRaids the British, they suffered no damage in the Nam- sos attack. According to the Germans, the British were panicked. A Nazi bomb over Namsos sank the British trawler Rutlandshire, London admitted, | but the crew was saved. On Tuesday the principal northern | British force reached the town of Steinkjer, at the head of Trondheim Fjord, from Namsos, and a stronger | force from Andalsnes reached Storen. Beyond Steinkjer, the British sent an “ advance guard 20 miles to Sticklestad. There was fierce fighting, and, as Leland Stowe let us know, an advance guard of the British was defeated. One battalion of the King’s Own Royal Light Infantry, 1,500 men, the “Light Brigade” of 1940, carried the burden of the British battle. Here are a few of the Stowe words, part of the immortal story he dug from the snows of frozen Norway: “Tll-equipped they (the British troops) were thrown into the snows and mud of 63 degrees latitude north to fight crack German regulars — most of Stowe's Britishers averaged but one year of mili- tary service. They have already paid & | heavy price for a major military blun- der, which was not committed by their immediate command but in London.” He referred to the failure to arm these troops with heavy weapons and to cover their progress with anti-aircraft : 4 land by | The | them veterans of the Polish | Story invasion—and to face the most | destructive of modern weap- | ons. The great majortiy of these young | The burden of action is | pieces. At London it was explained that E the need for haste in landing troops re- | sulted in unavoidable sacrifices of equip- | ment. By Wednesday the allies were | out of Steinkjer and the Germans, pro- | tected by three destroyers which moved | up from Tondheim, were in. The British set up a line north of Steinkjer near | Myra, where French Foreign Legion- | naires and Alpine troops joined them. A German food ship slipped into Trond- heim Fjord to supply the German troops, running the British Atlantic blockade. The British, too, were daring at the sea. Stockholm heard that a British destroyer entered Trondheim Fjord, despite the quadruple fortress of Agdenes at the fjord's mouth. Thursday the British bombed the fortress, manned by Ger- mans, To the south of Trondheim the allies fared better. There with British and Norwegian troops were French and ski- equipped Canadians. These pushed up from Storen, and half way to Trond- heim, at Melhus, they engaged the Ger- mans in sharp skirmishes. From Storen the allies sent forth from Oslo toward Trondheim up the Osterdal. From Andalsnes British In Dombas not only to Storen but mans moving north from Oslo toward Trondheim up the Gudbransdal. British move enabled them to take Dom-~ ern Norway. At Dombas last Sunday Capt. Robert M. Losey, 31, assistant United States military attache for Fin- land, Sweden and Norway, was killed by a splinter from a German bomb. He of Americans from the legation in Oslo. | Near Dombas last Tuesday the Germans | dropped troops by parachute in a vain man parachuters taken prisoner were as- tonished to learn that British and French troops were operating in Norway. The British detachments moving southeast from Andalsnes via Dombas met the Germans at Lillehammer. That | was Monday. By Friday the Germans | had pushed back the ! British and with diffi- culty reached Ringebu, 30 miles toward Dombas along the railroad from Lillehammer. | moving under support of tanks, artillery | and aircraft, fighting from skis, and working desperately to protect the terri- | tory in their rear. In Oslo region guerilla | warfare hampered the Germans, and the | Norwegians claimed the capture of 100 | Germans when the invaders tried a west- ward movement, at a rough right angle to their Lillehammer-Ringebu march. Under the protection of bombers, which Lillehammer Operations the Germans, on foot and on motorcycle, moving toward Trondheim along the railroad on the east, made as much as 125 miles in one day before they got to guns had cut down 400 of them in an un- happy flanking move. At Rqros the allies, having rushed to meet the\enemy with infantry and light artillery, blasted at the Germans on Friday and drove them back 5 miles. The clash seesawed. Before dawn yesterday morning the Germans once more had Roros, and 20 miles away, in Sweden, the sound of cannon fire was troops to halt the Germans moving north | the allies sent forth troops | southeast to halt the Ger- | This | bas, rail junction in the center of south- | was seeking cover in a railroad tunnel | | while engaged in aiding the evacuation | effort to seize the railroad. The Ger- | | mans with blasted a clear path for their advance, | Roros. But not before Norse machine | PART TWO—EDITORIAL SECTION he Sunday Stac WASHINGTON, D. <., APRIL 28, 1940. With Organizations—Civics HELD BY ALLIES HELD BY GERMANS e ST o 14 MILES NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN KRISTIANSUN L STRANDAW, OVOROA GRODAS NORD 7y STRYN.®! DAVIK > BSNAUSTDAL TAV FJ. FORDE j4yNDAL®p LUSTER [J HAFSLO® BALE e 0LEIKANGI 5 UPSET A FAABERG ;}mm DIRECTION OF GERMAN ADVANCES RECTION OF ALLIED ADVANCES S0 s T}ONDH‘gl oKD, RINDAL L] D wsth} 3? C!.IIANC.H [J CROTTI VIDESETER ° BOVERDALEN R BYCDIN o AARDAL ARDAL gl / HERNSEDAL @ [7 NEDRESTOL < Al [ s ‘M!LHUS‘ i (J SOLLIA 7] \l““ STORLIEN HEGRA ELL TYDAL o HOLTALEN \}HT‘N Whoever controls area within circle NARBUVOLL & ° BRYDAL | with their colleagues to the south. | the allies are successful in forcing the o DREVS)O| HANESTAD | raging Arctic blizzards. | north of Trondheim that the Germans the French-British-Norwegian alliance or the Germans, depends to great extent on their success on the sea. The British seek to cut German supply and com- munication lines from Denmark across the Skagerrak to Norway. The Germans seek to destroy British landing bases—as they have bombed from the air An- dalsnes and Namsos—and to harry Brit- ish troop transports. Reports ‘issued by each side about the land operations are in detail conflicting. Reports on the work at sea and in the air scarcely seem to describe the same operation, when the communiques of Britain are compared with the com- muniques of Germany. Ber- Losses lin claims the British loss in AtSea ships sunk, damaged or in- capacitated since April 9, the date of Norway’s invasion, is 57 vessels, including 7 battleships, 13 cruisers, 11 de- stroyers, 11 troop transports, 1 aircraft carrier, 14 submarines, London puts Brit- ish losses at but 10 destroyers of a fleet of 185 destroyers, German losses, according to London, include, reportedly, the battle- ships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, at least 8 destroyers and surely 26 and perhaps 36 transport and supply ships. British es- timate of German sea losses since the war’s beginning, September 3, is 451,000 tons. For the British Narvik's siege is pri- marily a naval operation, hampered by Narvik is so far in the ore port have no hope of contact If surrender of the German garrison at | Na#vik, they will control the railroad from the Swedish iron mines at the head | of the Gulf of Bothnia, which remains N 2 NORDRE ® ) / \ DESET \ \ ° I\ SONDRE \ MOELVEN > fi-\l & CIOViI % LVERUM | Aalborg in Northern Denmark. {frozen until mid-May. It was the block- | ade by the British of Narvik to prevent the shipment of ore to Germany which hastened, so far as we can judge on in- formation available now, the arrival of | the war in Norway. The war in the air constts, so far as the northern war is concerned, on at- tempts by the British to destroy the German air bases at Stavanger, where a British pilot saw 50 Nazl pianes on the ground, and Bergen in Norway and The | British claim considerable success, the | Germans deny it, for their raids. Berlin The side that wins the land in the circle drawn on this map probadbly will win Norway. On the south- eastern rim is Lillehammer, where the Germans have broken through in their march up the Gudbransdal Val- ley, which has brought them to Ringebu. the German advance after being pushed back at Lillehammer. the British move. British, landing at Andalsnes and holding Dombas, are resisting The arrow line moving southeasterly shows The arrow sweeping no¥thward past Dombas shows how the British meved into Storen. Toward Storen the Germans are moving up the railroad in the Osterdal Valley, but Norwegians and allies are fighting this advance near Os, where the railroad moves out of the northern rim of the circle The objective of both German advances is Trondheim, where Germans are holding off allied movement Jrom Storen and from Namsos in north. Norwegians hold Hegra, on railroad to Sweden from Trondheim. British are said to have Lardal, on southern rim of circle, from which they can move against the German occupation of South Norway. clear. Storen is but 50 miles away. The Battle of Trondheim drew nearer realiza- , tion. The allies, despite their difficulties in having put their troops ashore well after the Germans invaded Norway and in sending many of those troops into battle with poor equipment are waging a stubborn battle. In Berlin a German official remarked that the allies ap- | | | —Associated Press War Map. } | { | parently lack a plan of campaign for Norway. But the British commander is | Maj. Gen. Carton de Wiart, one-armed, | one-eyed veteran and expert strategist. | The success of either side in Norway, | protested British bomb non-military civilian centers in Denmark. On the western front the war, tame since its beginning, was limited last week WAR OF NERVES MAY SPREAD TO AMERICA | Intervention With Money and Materiel Freely Discussed Two wars are being waged simultane- ously in Europe at the present time: One is a military campaign confined for the time being to the allies and the Ger- the Nordic states as the theater of operations. The other is a psychological war—the so-called war of nerves—waged by the powers of the axis and their potential associate, Japan. In the first of these wars, the Ger- mans, who have the initiative of opera- tions, are now confronted with a French- British military expedition on the Nor- wegian state. Both parties are rushing reinforcements as speedily as their means permit them. While no major engagement has taken place as yet, the propaganda offices are picturing the slightest skirmish as a momentous battle. The truth is that the time for a real encounter between the allied and the | : 2 By Constantine Brown. German forces has not yet arrived and it will take some time before the allies can land sufficient forces in the Nor- wegian fjords to meet the German divi- sions. The Reich high command is rushing, by sea and air transports, the necessary reinforcements to keep pace with the troops landed by their adver- saries. In the meantime, the opposing groups are making a big play for the gallery. Winston Churchill, in order to cover up the inexcusable surprise of the landing of the Germans in Norway, informed the world concerning the shattering battle | which was taking place in the Skagerrak | between German and British naval forces. This battle never existed. The only event that occurred there was that in which a number of British submarines broke through the minefields of the straits and sent to the bottom five out of | eight German transports. The German government announced | proudly, only 24 hours after their troops | entered Oslo, that King Haakon's govern- ment had given up all fight and was go- ing to accept the German protectorate within the next 12 hours. All of these gallery plays were intended to further intimidate the thoroughly-scared neutral neighbors. Mussolini Does His Part. But as soon as it appeared that the operations in Scandinavia would take longer than was expected by the Reich government, the war of nerves broke out in full fury. Signor Mussolini, faithful ally of the Germans, contributed to that play. The Italian fleet was mobilized and sent—with the exception of the sub- marines and a large proportion of the destroyers—to the Dodecanese Islands. Italian troops were moved toward the French frontier while new mechanized units and several air squadrons were rushed over the Mediterranean to rein- force Field Marshal Balbo's African forces. Rumors followed rumors. The Russian divisions—veterans of the Finn- Ish wars—moved closer to the Ru- manian borders from the Odessa dis- tricts. German forces, kept for several weeks on the Hungarian frontiers, were reinforced and began suspicious concen= trations. . The fifth column story broke out in one big sensational rash. , The jittery European neutrals began to round up all foreigners, regardless of who they were. Holland began to flood the roads leading to the German borders and ar- rested all the suspected Nazi sympa- thizers, which included associates of the late and powerful oil magnate, Sir Henrl Deterding. Ruymors were spread in Britain and in France that Franco was on the way out. The Spanish generalissimo is a sound man. He realizes that Spain is in no position to ufldertake any adventures in a colossal war like the present one. But, it was said in Paris and in London, there are some Spanish generals who be- grudge the dictator's position and are willing to replace him, even at the price of participation in the present war. The aim of the Spanish ultra-nationalists is to have control of the wholé of Spain, and Gibraltar is in Spain, after all. They were reported to be ready to overthrow Gen. Franco, whose pro-French feelings do not suit the totalitarians. Franco was a pupil of the present French Ambas- sador to Spain, Marshal Petain, at the French war college. He has kept a deep feeling of respect and admiration for his former teacher. This is considered sufficient for his opponents to label him as pro-ally. Because of these intrigues in Spain reports came out that the Spaniards are massing troops in the vicinity of Gibraltar with the view of retaking the rock from the British. News of impending attack against Hol- land, Greece, Yugoslavia, Switzerland and Gibraltar have filled Europe for the last 10 days. They are causing a tense- ness which is reflected even in our own country—thousands of miles away from the scene of battle. Sword Rattling Has Effect. Mussolini became bellicose suddenly the day after the Germans entered Den- mark and Norway. That he intends to play a part in the present conflagration is beyond doubt. He is going to bring Italy into this war despite the meek op- position of King-Emperor Victor Eman- uel and his son Umberto. But the mo- ment to strike, while near, has not yet arrived. His rattling of the sword has, however, had its effect already. French units which had been operating with the British in the North Atlantic were rushed back to the. Mediterranean. French troops held in reserve since the outbreak of the war were sent to the Alps in a hurry, while more troops are being sent to the French Riviera to strike, if neces- sary, at Ifaly through the only open passage—the Mentone Ventimiglia road. The allies have done their utmost to cover their defeat in this war of nerves. Since Thursday, April 18, rumors have been flying throughout Europe that the concentration of Italian troops in Al- ‘bania was not intended for Greece, but for Dalmatia. The Yugoslavs bit for a while. They knew that for almost a year German and Italian “fifth columnists” had been infesting Croatia and Slovenia and undermining the influence of the Belgrade government. They were en- couraged to demand—even by a revolu- tionary movement—the complete au- tonomy of these provinces. Belgrade was nervous. The information presented to the government was conclusive. Belgrade believed this because it was aware of the Croatian dissatisfaction. The pro-Ger- man Prime Minister, Stoyadinovitch, was rounded up and sent into the fastness of i SIR JOHN SIMON. The British chancellor of the exchequer announced a nine- billion-dollar war budget for the year. —A. P. Photo. wholly to the air. The Germans boasted that they flew a plane all across France to Bordeaux. Three French planes sent a German to destruction on Belgian soil. * k kX Behind the Lines For British worst news of the week | was revelation of slaughter of the light | brigade at Steinkjer. Second worse news of the week was disclosure by Sir John Simon, Chancellor of the Exchequer, that taxes are going up to pay for the 1940- 41 war budget, set at $9,334,500,000. There were indications of British restiveness at lack of official news on British war operations. The British communique about the situation re- ported by Mr. Stowe went: “The facts are that an advance de- tachment of a larger force pushed to- ward Trondheim from the direction of the Herzogovinian Mountains, and most of his followers and sympathizers were rendered equally ineffective. But the scare did not last long. Mus- solini’s plan, in the event he decides to join the dance of death, is to occupy Greece. The Yugoslav general staff, which deals in realities, knows what the Italian general staff knows: That an invasion of Dalmatia is feasible, but the consequences of a war with Yugoslavia could prove fatal to the Fascist regime. There can be no blitzkrieg in Yugoslavia. Mechanized forces cannot move exten- sively, and bombardment of the principal Yugoslav towns can be of no military consequence. Furthermore, the occupa- tion of the Dalmatian coast’ can profit Italy nothing. That part of the Yugoslav kingdom is in the hands of Italy so far as its communication with the outside world is concerned. The Italians domi- nate the Otranto Straits and can cut off all communication between the Adriatic and the Mediterranean within less than 24 hours. Hence, the war of .nerves which infected Yugoslavia was only of short duration. The war of nerves was intended at first to demoralize the public in Britain and France and force the respective govern- ments to a peace by, acceptance of faits accompli. This appears completely out of the. question at the moment. It is pointed out in allied quarters that if the war of nerves takes the proportion of an epidemic in the United States, the possibility of precipitating an interven- tionist attitude on this side of the ocean might become & probability. | Germany for Mastery in Scandinavia Namsos. The Germans, moving rein- forcements inside Trondheim Fjord, threatened to cut off the advance troops from their main body. They, therefore, withdrew, but were not followed by the enemy, who are now reported digging in at the head of the fjord. Our troops suffered some losses.” For Paris, the worst news of the week was a continued question mark: What move will Sweden make? France seems disposed to the view that Germany will seduce the Swedes. Swed- ish anti-aircraft opera- Swedish tives on Monday fired at Situation two German planes Sun- day night flying over Goteborg, Swedish territory. By Thurs- day Berlin apologized for invasion of Swedish neutrality, said it was unin- tentional. During week German officials arrived in Stockholm to discuss Baltic trade with Sweden. A Berlin authority stated for public consumption that Her- mann Goering, the German Air Minister, considers Sweden “his second home.” The Swedes denied permission to Fin- nish volunteers to cross Sweden in order to join the Norwegian forces against the Germans. Friendly Sweden would be immeasura- ble boon to Germany. After May, Ger- many could get her indispensable iron, blocked by siege of Narvik. In lumber and agricultural products Sweden abounds. And friendly Sweden wouid not interfere with German military ac- tivities in the Baltic. German troops are massing at Koenigsberg in East Prussia and in Memel. The allie- wonder where these troops are headed. The other question marks of the week are Italy and Russia. Italy chafes under the British blockade, and the country gave signs of new wave of enthusiasm for Germany. On Wednes- day the German Ambassa~ dor, Von Mackensen, re- turned to Rome from a visit to Berlin. Same day the Bologna papel\, Resto del Carlino, forecast German vic- tory and predicted Italy would fight be- side Germany. The next day Francesco Giunta, a leading Fascist party member, said in Italian Chamber of Fasces and Guilds that France “always has been against us” and Britain's “traditional friendship for us is nothing but a com- monplace refuted by history and by fact.” Dim light on Russia’s present attitude came from Zagreb, Yugoslavia, where rewspaper Novosti predicted opening of diplomatic relations between Yugosiavia and the U. S. S. R. The two countries, the paper said, are being brought to- gether by the British. However, Rome heard reports from Italy and Russia { ' Belgrade, Yugoslav capital, which fur- | ther complicated Russian question. Re- portedly, an Italian-Yugosiav trade commission will meet in Rome in May to discuss change in barter system now regulating trade between the two coun= tries. Rome viewed this step as attempt to counteract the British blockade, which affects Italian commerce through the contraband control. Italy wants to dominate the Balkans and would chafe at a Yugoslav overture to Russia. Despite Italian distaste for blockade, French and British are con- sidering its extension to the air. The allies feel too much contraband reaches their enemy by flying traffic entering Lisben, the European terminus of the Atlantic service from the United States. Georges Monnet, French blockade min- | ister, and R. H. Cross, British Minister for Economic Warfare, are studying the | oroblem. In Berlin, wifh pomp and ceremony, | Joachim von Ribbentrop, German For- eign Minister, told cor- respondents documents seized in Oslo by Ger- man invaders proved de- sign by allies to invade Norway them- selves in order to move theater of war away from the stalemate Maginot Line-Westwall position. The “Stratford undertaking,” the British called the allied invasion plan, Von Ribbentrop stated in the fourth German “White Book.” At same time Fuehrer Hitler yesterday issued proclamation dated April 24 that state of war existed between the Third Reich and the Norway government of King Haakon VII. From April 9, date of invasion, until Wednesday Germans insisted their movement north consti- tuted “protectorate” of Denmark and Norway. In his secret hideaway King Haakon announced to the world he will not treat with the invading Germans. * ok ok x . Domestic Front The week brought forthright words of war to the United States. Admiral Jo- seph K. Taussig, once chief of naval operations, now head of Norfolk naval base, told the Senate Naval Affairs Com- mittee: “I don't see how we can escape being forced into an eventual war by the present trend of develop- ments in the Far East.” The enemy would be Japan. His Navy superiors disowned his remarks. Secre- tary of State Hull announced the ad- miral did not speak for the State De- partment. Senator Clark, Democrat, of Missouri, suggested the admiral’s court martial. Meanwhile, the Senate pre- pared for action on bill authorizing $655,~ 000,000 worth of naval building, expand- ing present Navy 11 per cent. Senator Pittman, Democrat, of Nevada, said it should be expanded 25 per cent in order to make us independent of navies of France and Britain. In Warm Springs, the vacationing Pres- ident invoked the Neutrality Act against Norway, and the Export-Import Bank at once withdrew $10,000,000 credit for the Scandinavian country. There, too, the President saw Mackenzie King, Premier of Canada, a friend for 30 years. No international significance, the President’s spokesman said. After a 12-day trip by automobile, foot and horsecart, the American refugees from the legation in Oslo reached Stock- holm. Their boss, the swift-footed sep- tagenarian, Minister Florence Jaftray Harriman, got to the Swedish capital a good 12 hours before them. Ribbentrop’s Charges Taussig Speaks Out [