VAST LABOUR ARMY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24085, 2 October 1941, Page 9

VAST LABOUR ARMY

EMPLOYMENT IN REICII 1,700,000 FOREIGNERS STILL MORE TO BE SOUGHT (Rffd, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. Ort. 1 The German weekly journal Deutsche Volkswirt says the number of foreigners employed in Germany has now reached the gigantic figure of 1,700,000, not counting 1,500,000 prisoners of war. The paper reveals that labour officials follow up the armies step by step, and immediately the fighting dies down, co-operate with the military in causing the native population to resume work, or in sending labourers wherever they can be directly employed in Germany. "Germany," says the paper, "is politically stronger than in the last war, and can bring greater pressure on all European countries to fulfil her needs, especially as an unintended effect of the British blockade is to create a surplus of unemployable labour. The jobless at home are a serious social problem, but from Germany they can send money." The paper gives as an instance the Belgians, saying that Belgian workers in Germany have sent home 800,000,000 francs, but it does not mention that this is paid out of tho occupation charges levied on Belgium. "The absorption of labour in the Reich also relieves provisioning difficulties in the labour-contributing countries," the paper continues. "Germany is looking out for new sources of foreign labour, which in the near future she may perhaps seek in Spain, the Baltic States and tho Ukraine.''