The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-19
GERMANYs MAN AND WOMAN POWER.
BY ALFRED G. ANDERSEN
Copyright 1918 BY Star Company.)

Since the war began twenty million
Germans have been called to the
eolors in one form of another. Not
all of course. were soldiers. OF this
number, two million have been killed
in action and 10000 permanently
crinpied up 10 the time visited Berlin
These figures were furnished me by
Captain Erich Won Salzman,, nephew
of General Ludendorff, and military
critic of the Vossische Zeitung.. dur
ing a friendly CALI made in com
pany with a neutral newspaper cor
respondent ] could not help feeling
they were exaggerated. My questions
were edged in quite casually in the
course of a triangular conversation
a bout general matters OF no parttcu-
lar import Had the captain been
aware of my true identity he would
doubtless have turned me over TO
firing squad Captain Won Salzman
said he did not know the number of
men lost as prisoners or released
from service for other causes.
Drain on Population.
Since that time at least 100000
more Germans have been put per-
manen,ls out Of action, according Ito
reports from the front. The drain
on the population for soldiers has
been SO great that Germany has re-.
sorted to extraordinary measures 10
keep the whole of industry moving.
once | lost my way on the east side
of Berlin and strayed into a ceme-
terry. There | saw "A funeral process
sion and the hearse was being drawn
by two husky young women. Behind
1t marched friends and relatives of
the deceased. Some were men of
greater physical strength than the
women attached to the hearse.
Laboring people told me that at
many ammunition factories more
than seventy-hve per cent of the
workers are women. They said that.
generally speaking, German expe
TfGTCe 11Ts been mat women rad been
not proved as efficient as men in most
occupations
Women Lack Endurance.
Members of labor unions in Berlin
assert that women lack the physical
strength and endurance To perform
really eXacting and heavy manual
tasks in industrial plants. With this
fact in mind more than year ago
the refchstag passed the so-called
civil service law as means of har-
Messing all available masculine labor
The purpose and effect of this law
was explained to me by Herr Dobel.
socialist reichstag delegate. II is
compulsory for every male person be
tween the ages of sixteen and sixty
years who, for any reason. has been
excused from military service to ac-
/ cept employment in a recognized in
dustry
! Once employed, the worker is not
! permitted to leave his Job without
| the sanction of his employer or the
authorities If he intends to leave
! he must give notice to his boss. An
/ Investigation is made TO determine if
/ circumstances warrant permission to
quit.
I Law Creates Friction.
This law has been source of
great friction between the two
socialist groups" said Herr Dohel,
who himself belongs 10 the majority
, faction.
The independents voted against IL
in tho reiehstag on the ground that
II deprived workers all freedom of
action. Also. they advanced the OBJ
/ lection that measures of this kind
might not be abolished after the war.
| But we of the majority faction have
no such fear.
IF we majority socialists had not
asserted ourselves the law would have
.t''ceH made FAR mere severe. =" = -
A, Another means of repfrnfshing the