NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 76, 26 September 1942, Page 6

NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

AID TO AXIS

EXPLOITING EUROPE

The latest German thrust into the streets of Stalingrad, reported today, reveals once more the resources in man-power and material

from which the Axis in Europe seems at the critical moment to be able to draw ever fresh supplies. Right through the German campaign in the south the Russians appear to have been outnumbered,

and the question must arise how

the Axis is able to do it after fifteen months of heavy fighting with abnormal losses. The answer seems to lie in the exploitation of European man-power in war industry to the release of Germans and their

allies for service in the fighting

forces. The population of the Axis nations —Germany and Italy—with their satellite allies—Hungary, Slovakia, Rumania, Bulgaria, and Finland —must now be at least equal to that of unoccupied Russia. Greater Germany, including Austria, Sudetenland, and Alsace-Lorraine, has a population of nearly 80,000,000; Hungary and Rumania about .30,000,000; Italy, 43,000,----000; Slovakia, 2,500,000; Bulgaria, 6,000,000; Finland, 3,500,000; making a total of 167,000,000. Not all of this, of course, will be equally available for active service on the battle fronts, but Germany has already drawn heavily on Italy, Finland, Hungary, and Rumania, for aid in the Russian campaign, while Bulgaria has contributed substantially towards the garrisons of the Balkans to hold down Greece and Yugoslavia. The total population of Soviet Russia was estimated in 1939 at 170,000,000, but of this number at least 40,000,000 belonged to that area of Russia now in the hands ot the enemy. Hence, if due allowance is made for Axis armed forces employed as garrisons and reserves m occupied western and southern Europe, it is easy to understand why the Russians are outnumbered.

Workers for War Industry.

There is a great further advantage to the Axis over Russia in the field ot war industry. Here, apart from supplies from Britain and America, the Russian people, depleted in numbers and deprived of resources by the loss of territory, have to do everything for themselves. The Axis, on the contrary, can draw and has drawn from conquered countries vast numbers of workers of all kinds and nationalities to carry on its war industries from intensive agriculture to the production of all sorts of weapons and material of war. It has been estimated that there are already over six million foreign workers in Germany alone and the number is going up all the time with the recruiting of labour in. the occupied countries, where the alternative to working for Germany is practical starvation. These foreign workers release able-bodied Germans for active war service. The net effect is to increase the German divisions available, say, for service in Russia to the maximum proportion of the German population—a greater number than could be released in Russia or Britain, where according to official declarations three out of four of the able-bodied population of both sexes are already directly engaged in active service or war industry.

Laval "Collaborates."

In this recruiting of foreign labour for work in German war factories Hitler has found an ardent collaborator in Laval, the quisling of France, who has' gone to the degree of imposing compulsory labour service on the inhabitants of Vichy France. France, occupied and unoccupied, is grossly underfed. Recently the "Paris Soir" computed that all anybody was legally entitled to spend on food in one month was 183 francs, in buying power the equivalent of about £1, or about onethird or one-quarter of what the normal Frenchman would spend on food, if it was to be had. Discussing this position "The * Times" correspondent on the French frontier says:

Germany has no interest whatever in allowing the food supply of France to improve. Hunger is too effective a tool for the attainment of German political aims. France is not allowed to improve her lot by growing more at home or importing more from her colonies. Any increase is neutralised by augmented requisitioning. Even if Germany really does release a few thousand French prisoners of war in exchange for skilled industrial workers France will derive no immediate benefit to her food supply. Before the French

farm workers leave Germany they

will have done harvesting there, but reach home too late to affect production this year.

Forcing" a Transfer,

Other steps are taken to force French workers to go to Germany. French factories no longer get large German orders, except at prohibitive "cut" rates. Hence unemployment and short time. Laval has hastened the process by a "rationalisation of industry," closing down thousands of factories as superfluous. Materials are cut down and unemployment relief pay stopped. The whole idea is to force a transfer of skilled French labour to German factories, which are better equipped, more efficient, and easier to supervise than French factories. German factories are shorthanded, because every man able to fight has been sent to the front. Work in Germany is made to look as alluring as possible. Notices placarded by thousands in every French city read: Workers! You want settled jobs, fair pay, security for your families. Germany offers you all these. But besides that you have the chance of helping to build up a New Europe. Apply at the Official German Employment Bureau.

On the German Model. Laval does everything to expedite the process of transfer. He has announced that the French labour market is to be organised on the German model. He aims to make the French economic system identical with the German, no matter what the cost in the disruption of family life and the break with French tradition. Finally, the correspondent says: From the German point of view, the absorption into the works of the Reich of all the best workers of France is an inestimable military gain. French factories are more exposed' to R.A.F. raids than German. And, as Laval declared, every French worker recruited sets free one more German for front line service. By . withdrawing from France men of military age, one reduces the number of able-bodied men in France who would spring into revolt the moment a second front were created. But, above, all, Hitler is nearer his goal of destroying the Exench. nation*.