UNDER HITLER’S HEEL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 February 1941, Page 8

UNDER HITLER’S HEEL

HOW EUROPEAN NATIONS FARE. ENSLAVEMENT OF WORKERS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY January 30 In a broadcast to North America the Minister of Shipping. Mr Cross, described Hitler’s new order as “Germany as the centre of a vast circle—a master surrounded by servant and conquered States." and gave striking figures to show how Hitler was already practising what he had so long preached.

The Minister said: "Since the war started Hitler has already imported no fewer that 2.500.000 ’foreigners’ to work in Germany and he is still importing them. He wanted a million more al the end of last year. Already imported labour amounts to al least 10 per cent of the workers employed, and their labour adds about 1.275.-. 000,000 dollars a year to Germany’s national income and probably well over 400.000.000 dollars to her war effort."

Poland, said the Minister had been forced to send to Germany 700 000 tons of grain from the last, harvest—half a million tons more than she ever exported. Poles between 16 and 50 had been conscripted for forced labour. Polish State property had been confiscated to the value of 2,550.000 000 dollars —in the war theatre all Polishowned estates and industrial enterprises had been confiscated, or, in plain English, stolen.

?Xs for Norway. Mr Cross instanced the statement of Carlo Otte. German administrator, who. as Hitler’s spokesman. announced last November that he regarded it. as one of the most important tasks in Norway to increase the labour output and decrease wages. "By lowering actual wages as Otte has said, and then lowering the standard of living, the conditions necessary for the incorporation of Norway in the European system would be created " said Mr Cross "Norway is paying to Germany tkVO.OOO.OOt) dollars a year as an occupation bill—a heavier burden per head than that imposed on France this is a third of Norway’s entire income and this does not include what is being extracted by banking frauds or property confiscation " Mr Cross surveyed the plight of other servant States and concluded: "In some degree he is successfully tricking them. The wheels of Hitler's juggernaut arc really turning.’