Evening star., 1942-09-23
Wounded nazi Troops
Reported Forced 10
Work in Factories
Action Emphasizes Need
For Every Ounce Of
Munpower Available
Ry ALVIN J. STEINKOPF.
Wide World,

Hitler seems to be getting des-
perate over the German labor prob
lem, and now, with victory slipping
further and further from his grasp,
Is keeping his war machine run
ming by measures unforeseen by the
Nazi architects of the new order
as recently as six months ago.
The latest scheme was reported
Just last night by a secret German
radio, which said Hitler was forcing
l,000,00 wounded soldiers. many of
them blind or legless. to work 10
hours day in war factories. This
emphasizes that he wants to use
every ounce of labor he can muster.
After the Polish campaign in the
fall of 1889 wounded German SOL
diers who came back were given the
best sort of treatment, and their
cases were handled by the best sur
geons obtainable. Some were put to
work in factories, but this was done
as much for rehabilitation of the
man as for production on the home
front.
Deterioration of the treatment of
the wounded German soldiers set
In later, however, and was evidence
BEFORE and other American corre-
spondents left Germany. The treat
ment OF these veterans appears to
have reached a new low with last
nights secret radio report, the scale
Of this operation indicating it has
gone far beyond the mere rehabili-
tation stage.
Other Drastic Measures.
The seriousness of Germany's labor
problem has been made plain by
H1merous other drastic measures
recently.
One of these was the Inauguration
OF forced labor in France which was
ordered by the Laval government
bat which undoubtedly was result
u German pressure.
Hitler, or any one else familiar
With the history of French labor,
must have known that such mea-
sure would be something like touch
ing q match to dynamite. The very
fact that he insisted on Laval going
that the situation was so critical
he had to have French workers
even though forced to cause internal
troubles in France to get them.
The German radio last night an
nounced still another step-all Dam
ish specialized workers are to reg
lister on specials rolls October l,
indicating that preparations were
being made to draft Danish labor
for Germany.
Even Jews Acceptable.
Next to soldiers, Germany's most
desperate need is workers, and their
nationality makes no difference. Even
the labor Of Jews is acceptable to
the hard-pressed war economy of
the Reich, which does not grant
them citizenship.
Making only the most urgent re-
pairs after 1,000-plane raid on
a German city entails many months
of labor for thousands OF workmen.
Keeping the east front going, max
ing and delivering the arms hurled
at the Russians and keeping that
vast Nazi Army fed, is the full-time
occupation of not less than 10000, 900
persons. Supplying the German
population with the barest of neces-
sites strains the labor capacity of
the Reich to the utmost.e
Foreign laborers now are providing
that extra margin Of energy which
keeps the German Army on the
offensive against heroic Russian re-
sistance Without the effort sup
piled by more than 5000, 900 foreign
industrial and agricultural workers,
excluding prisoners of war, the Ger
man Army would be doing well to
hold its own, it was being said by
European observers.
So the point Of Hitier's effort to