4,000 Jews May Be Placed at Work in German Factories to Produce Clothing for Jewish Dp’s

A meeting of high ranking officers from the DP section of the U.S. Army headquarters in Germany, military government and German officials and DP leaders has been held to discuss implementation of the plan for a “DP economy” proposed by the Central Jewish Committee, it was learned here today.

The plan, which is an outgrowth of schemes presented earlier by Dr. Philip Auerbach, Commissioner for Jewish Affairs in the Bavarian Government, and voluntary relief organizations, involves the employment of some 4,000 displaced Jews in German factories where they will manufacture a year’s supply of clothing exclusively for the 185,000 displaced Jews in the American zone of Germany. As submitted, the plan lists the names and number of workers and apprentices to be assigned to each factory and lists the exact number of items to be manufactured.

Two stumbling blocks in the path of immediate implementation of the scheme are believed to be the DP’s request for payment in American currency and their refusal to work on any goods destined for the German economy. The Army will agree only to paying them in German marks taken from the German economy and says that the amount of clothing they wish to manufacture could be produced within four months. After that, Army officials insist, the DP’s should continue to produce for German markets. The Jews, however, are firm in their refusal to work for the Germans.