(Continued. from page 7) carry out a proper investigation into the matter. Not until after these refusal did His Majesty's ships take action against the Altmark, and if they had not done so she would have been allowed to complete her voyage to Germany without let or hindrance, and without any inquiry into the circumstances.
"I observe also that M. Koht said the Norwegian authorities did not know that British prisoners were aboard the Altmark. Considering that this fact was prominently reported weeks ago by the press of the world, I cannot but regard this as a most surprising statement.
"I find it difficult, in these circumstances, to resist the conclusion that the Norwegian authorities have displayed complete indifference as to the use which might be made of their territorial waters by the German Fleet. Even if such indifference is due to German pressure it is nevertheless, in the view of His Majesty's Government, inconsistent with the active and impartial exercise of the duty of a neutral towards ourselves as belligerents.
"According to M. Koht's views, the Norwegian Government see no objection to the use of Norwegian territorial waters for hundreds of miles by a German warship, for the purpose of escaping capture on the high seas and conveying British prisoners to a German prison camp. Such a doctrine is at variance with international law, as His Majesty's Government understand it. It would, in their view. legalize the abuse by German warships of neutral waters and create a position which His Majesty's Government could, under n6.circumstances, accept" (loud cheers).—Reuter. fore the blaze was quelled. The building was gutted and three other shops were badly damaged.
The second fire occurred at the China Dyeing and Weaving Factory, 141 Warren Road, where a two-storeyed wooden building, used as a drying room and godown, was gutted. One Chinese was injured. Firemen from Bubbling Well station had the outbreak under contro] in 27 minutes. occupied Poland was decreed today by Fieldmarshal Hermann Goering, Four-Year Plan Director.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.