Evening star., 1942-01-16
Nazi Labor SHORTAGE
Reported Growing
More Critical
Foreign Workers Are
Reluctant to Take Jobs;
Leaders Worried
BY MAX HARRELSON,
Wide World News.

BY MAX HARRELSON,
Wide World News.
BERN, Switzerland, Jan. l6.-A
labor shortage in Germany Is re-
ported constantly becoming more
acute In spite of enlistment Of $780,
900 new workers since the start Of
the war.
In recent weeks there has been an
intensifcation of German efforts to
recruit additional laborers from oc-
cupied countries. However, 1t is re-
ported reliably that foreign workers
are showing more reluctance to 60 to
Germany.
This coupled with the fact that
the available German labor supply
has long since been snapped up, is
causing German leaders grave con-
Germ, Nazi press dispatches acknowl-
edge.
The Germans problem is to ex-
pand production at the same time
they find it necessary to keep calling
up new reinforcements to replace
losses on the eastern front. During
the last few weeks, three new classes
totaling 100000 800 900 men have
been called to the colors. leaving new
places to be filled in industry and
agriculture.
Thus far the Germans have re-
placed those called up by using war
prisoners and foreign civilian
workers as well as women. At
present it is estimated there are
about 100000 foreign laborers in
Germany, 100000 war prisoners
and perhaps 1.0O0,0O women work.
ers who before the war were not
employed.
Some Relief In Sight.
The situation will be relieved to
some extent, observers say, when
hundreds of thousands of Russian
prisoners are put to work. but the
problem will not be solved because
the greatest shortage is in skilled
labor.
Many Russians as well as other
prisoners are highly skilled. but the
Germans are reluctant to trust them
in jobs where sabotage might be
easy.
Latest figures from the German
Labor Ministry showed 24,000, 900
persons employed in the Reich, ex-
elusive of war prisoners. The
Frankfurter Zeitung. commenting on
this report, said, There still Is a
great need for workers in numerous
branches"
Adolf Hitler's Volkischer Beo-
bachter, reviewing the situation in
Alsace. referred to "the ever
increasing scarcity Of workers" In
every branch of work, the newspaper
continued, there is lack Of men
and women workers. For instance,
the demand for metal workers has
risen so per cent"
1000 Openings in One Month.
The article said the Alsace Labor
Exchange listed nearly $500 open
ings for metal works helpers in one
month while the demand for women
helpers rose from 602 to 1,049.
The situation in various other
parts of the Reich also is reflected
in the increasing number Of want
ads seeking workers.
The Trankfurter Zeitung in recent
months has carried six to eight
pages Of these ads. The number of
pages has been reduced recently by
use OF smaller type, but the number
of ads has continued to increase.
For example, the Weser Aircraft
Co. of Bremen seeks airplane build
ers and craftsmen. The Bayrische
Motorenwerke in a single ad Of
fered jobs to 81 different kinds Of
workers. A Berlin factory wants to
erect a plant abroad-probably a
refinery-and advertises for ma
chine and electrical engineers, con-
struction specialists, material test
ers, time-study men and bookkeep-
ers.
Occasionally one sees items in the
newspapers about such workers as
cartoon artists in the motion picture
industry being ordered transferred
to more essential work.
The need for every available
worker is indicated by such DEGREES
as the one issued by the German
Labor Ministry requiring workers
to make up time lost during the
Christmas and New Year holidays
by working overtime without addi-
tional pay.
Street Car Problem.
Another decree provided that
only absolutely necessary street
cleaning be done. This applied
especially to snow removal.
Some of the German occupied
and other Axis states are experience
ing similar difficulties.
Dispatches from Budapest men
toned snow heaped high in the
streets because of lack of necessary
workers for shoveling. The busi-
ness section was cleared only after
additional men were brought to the
city from rural districts.
In France there is an acute labor
shortage, especially of agricultural
workers, because the Germans still
are holding more than 1000, 900
French war prisoners.
In Serbia the Minister Of 1nteriar
forbade discharge of coal miners
without government consent. He
also has ordered all men who have
worked in coal mines four months
out of the last three years to report
for work in mines again regardless
of the type of work they have been
doing recently.