These cities at that time were the centers of industries
engaged in furnishing munitions and war supplies to the Entente allies.
Concerning this enterprise Ambassador Dumba, writing to Baron Burian,
Foreign Minister of Austria-Hungary, said:
A private German employment office has been established which provides
employment for persons who have voluntarily given up their places, and
it is already working well. We shall also join in and the widest support
is assured us.
The duties of men sent from the German employment offices into munition
plants may be gathered from the following frank circular issued on
November 2, 1914, by the German General Headquarters and reprinted in
the Freie Zeitung, of Berne.
GENERAL HEADQUARTERS TO THE MILITARY REPRESENTATIVE
ON THE RUSSIAN AND FRENCH FRONTS, AS WELL AS IN ITALY AND NORWAY.
In all branch establishments of German banking houses in Sweden, Norway,
Switzerland, China and the United States, special military accounts have
been opened for special war necessities. Main headquarters authorizes
you to use these credits to an unlimited extent for the purpose of
destroying factories, workshops, camps, and the most important centers
of military and civil supply belonging to the enemy. In addition to the
incitement of labor troubles, measures must be taken for the damaging of
engines and machinery plants, the destruction of vessels carrying war
material to enemy countries, the burning of stocks of raw materials and
finished goods, and the depriving of large industrial centers of
electric power, fuel and food.
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