AAA

Because there is only about an acre of arable Germany to feed each German; because the climate is cool and damp and the land overworked, Germany for years has had to import 20% of her foodstuffs, including 45% of her fats (meat, eggs, cream, etc.). Last year the Fuehrer decided that Germany must be made "economically self-sufficient," must prepare herself for a possible long war. Launched by Hitler's No. 2 man. Minister-President General Hermann Goring, was Germany's vigorous Four-Year Economic Plan (TIME, Nov. 2).

Last week, as Germany's fat lands rolled sweetly to the plow, General Goring drastically pointed up the Four-Year Plan to embrace agriculture, announced that the Reich would grant farmers much vaster annual subsidies than ever before-- 200,000,000 marks ($80,000,000) in 1937, increasing progressively to 300,000,000 ($120,000,000) in 1940 and making a grand four-year total of 1,000,000,000 ($400,000,000). Thus was inaugurated for Nazis a sort of inverted AAA whereby German farmers will be paid to produce crops & not to limit them.

Radiorating to farmers all over the country General Goring announced that he aimed "at a 30% increase in farm production, at the improvement of five million acres of land." On pain of being deprived of their soil, German farmers were unambiguously commanded to sow the sort of crops that Germany most needs. Declared General Goring: "The State will appoint a trustee to administer the affairs of a farmer who fails, after due warning, to produce needed crops. If necessary the State will take complete control of the land, rent it to another farmer and order the owner to cease farming. . . . Farm workers who attempt to leave the land will be treated as deserters."

To the Minister-President's ultimatum the Nazi press added its thunder: "The mere publication of this decree should galvanize the last slackers in the agrarian production battle."

Few days earlier General Goring had come out with still another scheme. He announced that kindergartens would be set up all over the country to look after Nazi moppets so that mothers might help with the harvest. During summer vacations university students, mobilized as a special "land service" corps, will also work in the fields.

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