Evening star., 1943-05-02
Labor Quest Forces
Nazis 10 Close Down
100000 Retail Shops
New Resentment Follows
Execution Of Total
Mobilization DEGREES
BY THOMAS r. HAWKINS,
L.


BY THOMAS F. HAWKINS,
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent.
BERN, Switzerland, May 1.-An
economic revolution has been forced
on Naziland's middle class, creating
q new cause for resentment and
complaint among q large portion
of the population.
The cause Is the execution of
total mobilization DEGREES whereby
100, 900 small retail shops were closed
in the last two months and the own
ers transplanted into war factories
as laborers. More shops are being
shut daily.
This economic unheaval was an
nounced by decree January 80. The
Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung said
such mobilization was a temporary
necessity due to the war"
But the Frankfurter Zeitung, un-
der the title "The Way of Revolu-
tion," frankly asks whether arbi-
trary closing of shops and small fac
tories won't kill private initiative
and eventually lead to complete
state ownership. Almost everyone
can imagine little of the way
back from complete state control
but none knows how far back to-
ward the old system 1t will be pos
sible to CO."
Shop Owners Resentful.
EhOn ouyyoerc ,,po hlo ~ rocirt ava
mumbling openly, fearful they never
again will have their stores. The
rapidity with which buildings are be-
ing transformed into residences in
creased this feeling. They are COM
planning, too, that the closings were
on political basis and those who
are in disfavor with Nazi local lead
ers the first to be hit. The program
has increased the power of the party
to a vast degree since these local
leaders in any district are designated
as executors of the DEGREES.
Das Schwarze Korps acknowledges
this IN an article on abuses. The
paper cited examples of one party
leader who closed down tiny resi-
dence shop run by an old couple
who could not work In factories, but
did not close his own shop which
had three usable young people
lacked sufficient stock for operation
and had large premises suitable for
residences under the bombed-out
housing program.
ReJatives Had Ady,rt,
Schwarze Korps found an advan-
tage, however. 1t charged many
small shops had been kept open
merely for the benefit of family
When desirable goods came into
stock. the clerks cousins and un-
cles were permitted to buy all of
them. leaving nothing for the regu-
lar customers. Shop owners with
writing paper, toothpaste and other
rare but unrationed articles used
them to barter for food on the
black market.
The current drive to get a re-
taller out OF his shop and into =
factory or the army is continual
ton OF a consolidation begun In
the spring of 1912 Then small fac
tories were closed and their men
and machinery moved into larger
plants to keep war production going
Economics Minister Walther
Funk. recognizing the worries OF
middle class proprietors, promised
the owners they would be the first
TO be considered in the reconstruc-
ton after the war. But he warned
that political and professional suit
ability would be considered; In other
words. their present cooperation in
the mobilization would largely de-
termine the retailers future.
Expects Reich to Share Control.
The Frankfurter zeitung declared,
however, that the state certainly
would retain a large part of the
ownership after the war, that re-
construction. continuing DEGREES,
higher taxes and sinking incomes
made It doubtful that the situation
would permit the necessary unfold
ing Of strength of private initiative. /"
The editorial continued with the
statement that Nazi ideology stresses
the state as the guiding influence
under which private initiative flow
ers." 1t concluded that the state
would remain strong force to "try"
to even the distribution of goods.
but much depends on how" The
Zeitung is one of the few papers
In Germany which retains q SEM
blance of editorial liberty and has
not been taken over completely by
the Nazis.
Weltwoche, Swiss weekly, sum-
married. the situation, which can
only be considered as an important
one with regard to morale, thus:
Total mobilization of labor and
power, which takes every citizen
without distinction, besides gaining
soldiers and workers, serves as a
political instrument for the exclu-
sion of possible sources of opposi-
ton. German propaganda is in the
difficult position of having to try to
arouse enthusiasm for an economic
system which they had considered
Bolshevism and the essence of non
culture"
Wrote Neveste Nachrichten of
Munich about this dilemma: -
Germany stands between Scylla
and Charybdis."
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