Report to the Foreign Office on British operations in Norway's waters, and Norway's efforts to defend its neutrality

Telegram (Secret Code V) .
Oslo, 28th March 1940, 24.00 hours. Arrived: 29th March, 1940, 5.45 hours. No.410 of 28th March.
Most urgent!
For the Reich Minister and Secretary of State, with reference to Telegram No. 406 of 28th March.
1. When I charged Foreign Minister Koht, in today's discussion about submarine "U 21", with last week's operations of British warships in Norwegian territorial waters, he declared that the Norwegian navy had in every case succeeded in preventing the carrying out and conclusions of warlike actions even if one could assume that an attempt was made in that direction. He also believed that the Norwegian navy would in future succeed in protecting and maintaining shipping in Norwegian territorial waters. He added, in confidence, that the British behaviour seemed to him to be intended [Marginal Note: Group Missing] and to provoke Germany into starting warlike operations herself, which would give the British a free hand in Norwegian waters. The British apparently did not want to take upon themselves the responsibility for openly violating Norwegian territory and Norwegian territorial waters without cause, and for carrying out warlike operations in them.
2. The future will show whether Foreign Minister Koht sees things quite right. It definitely appears, however, as I have frequently pointed out, that the British have no intentions of landing, but that they want to disturb shipping in Norwegian territorial waters, perhaps, as Koht thinks, in order to provoke Germany. Of course, it is also possible that the British behaviour last week, which I have pointed out as well, will grow into more or less regular and increasing interference in territorial waters
D-843
in order to strike a blow at our iron ore shipments along the Norwegian coasts.
3. The firm intention of Norway to maintain her neutrality and to insure that Norway's neutrality rules are respected can be accepted as a fact. The internment of the submarine "U 21" can be traced back to these fearful endeavours to prevent any doubts arising as to this intention of Norway's; this does not of course affect all our criticism of Norway's attitude.
To this belongs also the order to fire given to Norwegian antiaircraft units and the navy, of which the English were notified too, on the occasion of the Norwegian protest against the British trespass on Norwegian territorial waters.
4. As seen from here, the attempt to fortify Norway further in her desire to keep neutral and thus prejudice her gradually more and more against England would seem worth while. While doing this, we might state that any deviation from this, harmful to our interests, or the inability to maintain this line, would confront us with serious decisions.
Braeuer.