The movement formed in southern Jutland then tried to spread to the whole of Denmark. Thus, there existed, even before the war, a National Socialist Party of Denmark, whose leader was Fritz Clausen. We read in the governmental report, Pages 6 and 7:
“With regard to the relations of the Party with Germany prior to the occupation it can be said that Fritz Clausen, himself, as well as the members of the Party, were assiduous participants at the Party Days held in Nuremberg and at the Congress of Streicher at Erfurt and that, in any event, Fritz Clausen personally was in very close relation with the German Foreign Office.
“This propagation of Nazism in Denmark, starting in southern Jutland and spreading to the rest of the country, is illustrated by the fact that the Nazi newspaper, called Das Vaterland, which at first was published in Jutland, was transferred in October 1939 to Copenhagen, where it was published from then on as a morning daily.”
Such, then, was the situation when the occupation started. As I have indicated, the Germans did not establish a formal occupation authority; and it follows that the two principal agents for the usurpation of sovereignty in Denmark were diplomatic representation, on the one hand, and the Danish Nazi Party on the other.
The German Reich Plenipotentiary in Denmark was at first Von Renthe-Fink, and from October 1942, Dr. Best.
Cases of diplomatic infringement on Danish sovereignty were numerous; and the demands, made at first in a discreet manner, became more and more sweeping. I shall quote, for example, a document which is contained in the government report. This document is a memorandum submitted by the Reich Plenipotentiary on 12 April 1941.
May I point out to the Tribunal that this text is to be found in Book Number 3 of the report submitted. This third book is entitled, “Second Memorandum,” or rather, it is a continuation of this third book and there is a sheet entitled “Annex One.” I am now quoting:
“The German Reich Plenipotentiary has received instructions to demand from the Royal Government of Denmark: