Morale in Germany. Report by the J.I.C.

partly to the serious deterioration in living conditions in recent months as shown in the drastic cuts in food rations, the great accentuation of already grave housing problems by air raids, fuel and transport difficulties, the further tightening of police supervision, more stringent measures of labour mobilization, especially of women, and attempts to speed up work still further; partly also, and more particularly in the areas affected to the severity of air raids and the fear of worse to come. While it is difficult at present to assess the general influence on morale of the greater weight of air raids, there is no doubt that they are increasing the physical and nervous strain on the population, It would, however, be incorrect and dangerous to believe that the state of German civilian morale will at this stage appreciably affect the German war effort.