CIVILIANS WILL GO SHORT

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 11, 8 October 1943, Page 5

CIVILIANS WILL GO SHORT

Effect Of Raids On Reich

(British Official Wireless.) (Received October 7, 9 p.m.) RUGBY, October 6.

Many German grandfathers will be called up under a new German order to relieve the acute manpower shortage in Germany, stated an official of the Ministry of Economic Warfare. Men up to 59 are. to register for military service. This has been caused by the reverses in Africa, Russia and Italy. Since 1942 there has been an adjustment of German civilian production in relation to war production, the air-raids, the heavy’ military defeats, and the very big labour comb-out having forced changes in the policy. These factors meant that all thought of a guarantee to the German consumer had to be set aside.

There has been vast destruction of consumer goods in air-raids, -Stocks of textiles have been destroyed in many German towns and in private homes. Textile producing plants in various centres such as Krefeld, Aachen and Hanover, have been destroyed. Thia has forced the Germans to give up hope of increased production of consumer goods and has led to the suspension of all clothing sales to adults. This, as the Germans have admitted, was one of the direct results of the Hamburg raid. The fact that their food front is relatively favourable made the Germans think they could afford to cut down the consumer still further in spite of the increased demand for consumer goods as a result of tlie daily air-raids. Bur. it is evident that the German consumer will have to look forward to an even leaner time as far as commodities other than foodstuffs are concerned. Grandfathers Called Up.

In many German cities, advertisements have appeared in the newspapers for men up to the age of 59 to register for military service. The Germans now find that they must replace their present casualties and provide for casualties in the future. There is a tendency to switch as many German men and women as possible, from civilian to war industry and place foreign, imported labour in the civilians' former industry. No doubt the Germans are planning (o use for a labour force a considerable number of Italians whe laid down tlieir arms in the Balkans and other parts of Europe. Tn the three or four months before (he Kalian aryilstice, there was a very large’ flow of Ilalimi workers back from Germany . to Italy. Italy had planned to get them all out, but did not quite succeed. It is likely that Italian soldiers will he as unwilling to work for the Germans as they were ready to lay down their arms.