“The Plenipotentiary General for Economy is given the task of
settling what work is to be given to prisoners of war, to those
in prison concentration camps and penitentiaries.
“According to a statement by the Reichsführer SS, greater use
will be made of the concentration camps in wartime. The 20,000
inmates will be employed mainly in workshops inside the
concentration camps.
“IV. Secretary of State Dr. Syrup, of the Reich Ministry of
Labor, made a report on the allocation of labor in the event of
mobilization and the schedule of manpower for the war.”
This seems a little detailed; but it is, I think, very important,
showing the totality of the mobilization planned months before the war
started and indicating, as we shall argue, preparations for a war more
extensive than the mere brush with Poland.
“The figures for the schedule of manpower, drawn up
experimentally, could only be of a preparatory character and
merely give certain guiding principles. The basis of a
population of 79 millions was taken. Of these, 56.5 millions are
between the ages of 14 and 65. It is also possible to draw upon
men over the age of 65 and upon minors of between 13 and 14. The
disabled and the infirm must be deducted from the 56.5 millions.
Most prisoners are already employed in industry. The greatest
deduction is that of 11 million mothers with children under 14.
After deduction of these groups, there remains an employable
population of 43.5 millions: 26.2 million men—after deducting 7
million members of the Armed Forces, 19.2; 17.3 million
women—after deducting 250,000 nurses _et cetera_, 17.1 for the
whole of Germany’s economic and civil life. The President does
not consider women over the age of 60 as employable.
“8. The number of workers at present employed and of employees
(two-thirds of the wage workers) distributed over 20 large
branches of industry amounts roughly to the following: 24
million men (excluding 2 million service men), 14 million women.
“9. No information was then available regarding the number which
the Armed Forces will take from the individual branches of
industry. Therefore an estimate was made of the numbers
remaining in the individual branches of industry after 5 million
servicemen had been called up.
“The President’s demand that the exact number liable to military
service be established, is being complied with. These inquiries
are not secret apart from figures given and formations.”