Berlin, Jan. 9.
An authoritative source here last night refused to answer the specific question whether Germany has held up of Italian planes to Finland "as a general principle" that reserves the right to halt Scandinavia's attitude towards the Finnish-Soviet conflict is vigorously defended today in the "Afterposten" and "Tidens Tegn," two of the most influential newspapers in Norway. Commenting on the German press campaign against northern countries. the "Tidens Tegn" writes: "We do not want Lebensraum (living space) to end outside our own borders, but we also do not wish to be the Lebensraum of other countries. We simply know that the fall of Finland will be a menace to ourselves. It is, therefore, necessary to do everything to prevent a Russian attack against its full objectives. This action is not directed against Germany, unless Germany has a real but secret pact with Russia to collaborate in the occupation of the northern countries. We refuse to believe this. We know that Great Britain is not threatening our integrity and independence."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.