"The Nazi Government have sought to make out that their invasion of Norway and Denmark was in con sequence of our action in closing the Norwegian corridor. It can undoubt tedly be proved that not only. their preparations had been made neatly a month before, but that the actual movements of troops and ships were Youn before the British and French mine fields were fai "No doubt. tity suspected they were going to be Laid. "IE must indeed have appeared incomprehensible that they had-not been laid long before "They, therefore, decided inthe! last week of March to use the Norwegian corridor to send amply ore. ships northwards fied with military stores and German soldiers concealed below decks, In order at a given moment to seize various ports on the Norwegian seaboard which they considered of military value.
"They also set in motion invading forces, which they had long prepares against two innocent neutral countries who had helped them into many!
We have the mast profound sym pathy with the Norwegian people (cheers). We understood the terrible dilemma, in which they have been placed. Their sentiments, like those of every other small country, were with the Allies. They writhed hopeless anger as scores of their ships were sunk and large numbers their sailors drowned.
"It is not of the slightest use baming the Allies for not being able to Jgive substantial help and protection to neutral countries if they' are held arms length by those neutral cou tries until they are aetwally attacked fon a selentifieally prepared plan by Geemany.
Warning to Others "I, teust the fact that the strict observanee of neutrality by Norway has been a contributory cause of the sufferings to which she Is now exposed, and of the limitations of aid which we can give her, will meditated upon by other countries who may tomorrow, or a week or month hence, find themselves victims of an unusually elaborately worked-out plan for their destruc tion and enslavement, "TE come now to the question wh 1 believe has been asked in, some Jquarters: "What is the Navy doing?
shall endeavour to answer it to the best of my ability as regards the past and present, but the House will hot expect me to lift the veil which properly and discreetly covers future. operations now In. progress.
"About five weeks ago, the Home Fleet returned to Scapa Flow and es been resting there or operating from there ever since. We have been ex~ posed to continual alr-raid alarms and humorous air raids, but we have now ry powerful anti-aircraft batteries!
action together with other methods of defence, and very good arrangements have been made with the RAP. and our own squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm so that an adequate number of squadrons are dis posed within striking distance.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.