An Eye-witness
Page 25
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
on France Under Nazi Occupation
The Motive Behind French Industrial Assistance to the Enemy. An Insight into Post-war Plans
By Jacq Harms Tiepcn
WHEN, in May, 1940, the Germans //V approached Paris, considerable chaos was caused on the roads as vast masses of people started to trek away from the advancing enemy. It took about 10 hours to cover a distance of 10 miles!
The French authorities were aware of the danger to the centre of the motorvehicle industry located near the Seine and, in 1939, M. Dautry, at that time Minister of Armaments and now Minister of Reconstruction under General de Gaulle, endeavoured to shift the centre of production to an area that was deemed to be safer.
Unfortunately, the G er mans advanced so quickly that the new factories were only partly ready for production when the armistice came.
When the enemy took over, any previous difficulties regarding material were soon solved and the Germans . paid well, as it was in their interests to obtain the goods. Naturally,. they endeavoured to organize the industry on the German lines. General von Schell and his staff set about normalizing production on the basis of one standard type for each factory.
The principal buyers of ,motor vehicles and accessories were the Army, Kriegmarine and the Todt Organization, purchases being made through specially appointed officers under direct enemy control. On the third year of war, conditions changed owing to the fact that the bulk of raw material previously available was sent to Germany.
The Getman system of planned economy included the use of material tickets which had to be presented with all orders. Officially, it was impossible to place an order ifyou did not have tickets covering the quantity of material required.
Many orders, particularly those for the Todt Organization, w'ere passed without tickets and the result was that those manufacturers who had orders to execute were compelled to obtain material in the "black market," which naturally meant an increase in price.
The Germans accepted the higher prices fairly well, but repercussions were felt amongst civilian operators. As examples of the fantastic prices asked and obtained, a I0-ton vehicle cost 1,000,000 francs. and 5-tanners
from between 800,000 and 900,000 francs. Pneumatic tyres, which were unpurchasable in the legitimate market, cost about 50,000 francs per wheel. The fact that the French people worked for the Germans has two sound explanations. In the first place, French Manufacturers were keen on retaining their skilled personnel, and, secondly, they wished to avoid the total occupation of their factories by the enemy.
By reason of their size and facilities the factories of Berfiet. Citroen,; and Renault were called upon for the maximum production Incidentally, the Renault works has been nationalized under Gen. de Gaulle's Government, the late M. Louis Renault's position being taken by M. Le Faucheux M. Louis Renault was one of the greatest figures in the French motor industry, and although his faflier's interest was in the textile industry in which Louis Renault's two brothers carried on the family business, Louis turned his attention to motor engineering to Mild up one of the biggestorganizations of its kind in the world.
With regard to after-the-war prospects of the French motor industry, it is not, at the moment, possible to give any extensive details. It is understood, however, that immediate post-war pro_ ducts will be similar to those being turned out prior to the war.
Light-metal alloys will figure largely in the contemplated new designs and there is a drawing-board tendency to dispense with a separate frame, the body performing a dual duty.
A programme has been formulated to provide for 1,500,000 vehicles over a period of five years.
In connection with this scheme there is to be rationalization and specialization of models, the number and weight of components will be reduced to a minimum, and there is to be a simplification of fabrication processes.