PLAY IN GERMANY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 71, 23 February 1937, Page 10

PLAY IN GERMANY

ORGANISING LEISURE. The German passion for organisation has never been more strongly exemplified than it is in the curious “Strength Through Joy” movement, which has grown remarkably in its three years of existence. Under the guidance of Herr Andress, this department of the Nazi Labour Front is engaged upon the organisation of the non-working hours of the German people. Dr. Leyhead of the Labour Front, can, presumably, be trusted to look after the working hours, so Herr Andress’s task is to make it certain that there is no misbehaviour during the rest of the day. In playtime, as well as in worktime, the German must be a good Nazi. For this purpose the country has been divided into 32 districts, 800 sub-dis-tricts, and 18,000 small centres of organisation, and every office or factory comes under the guidance of one of these centres, through its local steward. ITALY COPIED. The most characteristic department ot Herr Andress’s organisation is the “leisure time” section, which is based upon the “after work” organisation in Fascist Italy. Herr Andress, who has a genius for statistics, began by collecting figures showing how German workers utilised their spare time. One shocking fact disclosed was that, in the great Siemens works in Berlin, more than 80 per cent of the men and women had never seen an opera performed, and 63 per cent of the men, and 74 per cent of the women, had not been inside a theatre. The “leisure time” section determined that this reproach to Nazi Germany should be removed. In 1936 more than 5,000,000 people were taken to the theatre, and Herr Andress sent travelling companies to hundreds of small towns where the theatre was unknown. Excellent work, this, even if its very thoroughness appears to be comic to the average Englishman, writes a commentator.

But this was only the beginning; Herr Andress takes no highbrow attitude towards his job. Nearly 17,000,000 Germans attended music-hall and cabaret entertainments organised by the “Strength Through Joy” movement, and 6,000,000 had amazingly cheap holidays, thanks to clever organisation. Seven days on the Rhine cost no more than £1 18s, including full board and lodging in hotels or private houses. An 18 days’ cruise to Madeira cost the German working man £5.

SHIPPING LINES HELP. At first, these trips were subsidised by the State, but Herr Andress has now made them self-supporting. In these hard times German shipping lines are glad to quote rates which cover expenses, rather than have ships and employees lying idle in the docks. Similarly, it has been found that lodg-ing-house keepers are. pleased to quote the very lowest rates, if they are guaranteed a constant “stream of visitors.” The steamship and other accommodation is not luxurious —often six people are herded into a single cabin —but the Germans . who benefit by the “Strength Through Joy” movement know that they would never have seen Madeira otherwise, so they do not grumble. Swimming baths, sports grounds, gardens for factory workers, and walking tours are other recreations which Herr Andress and his associates supervise.

These facts are taken from the annual report of Herr Andress’s office. Apparently cheap and good fun is doing something to reconcile the average German to Nazism.