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Allotments to Germany of French manpower thus obtained underAction Frankreich were effected by defining 42 French zones, eachof "which acted as a manpower pool termed Paterig au for acorresponding Gauarbeitsamt in Germany* Any manpower left availablein a Patengau after tfas corresponding Gauarbeitsamt quota had beenfilled was to be transported to a central manpower pool in Germany.The rate of transfer was to be approximately 100,000 a month.As far as the Franco-German political background in relation tomanpower was concerned, the SADCKEL-LA.VAL Agreement providing fora stabilisation of French Labour in Germany and a temporary haltingof manpower transfers expired on 1 Jan 1944. (This short-livedagreement had suited the Germans as much as it had the French, insofaras i t gave them the time to re-appraise the situation on the basis ofthe projected Aktion Frankreich requirements, and to study the Frenchreaction to the compulsory labour calling-up now that all Frenchmanhad been promised excemption from deportation to Germany).Negotiations between LAVAL and IGBAF for a resumption of transfersdragged on until some time in March 1944 and culminated in PropagandaMinister HENRIOT's efforts to recruit manpower for Germany by thepower of persuasion. The results were negligible. In the meanwhilea new decree was published on 2 Feb 1944 which extended the labour «erviceobligations of men from 16 to 60 and that of women from 18 to 45»HENRIOT *s commentary on the new measure left little doubt that itwas intended to extend considerably the manpower draft for Germany.The class of 3944 which was called up in mid-February was not exemptedfrom foreign labour service obligations as had been the class of 1943*Death sentences were imposed for offences of a serious nature on thepart of employees who violated labour service regulations, withimprisonment and heavy fines as penalties in lesser cases.The only conciliatory gesture was the extension from 1 Jan to1 Apr 1944 of the amnesty granted to workmen who had failed to registerfor labour service or -to appear for work in an essential industry suchas the 0T. Included in the amnesty were the 50,000 Frenchmen whohad failed to return to work in Germany after their furlough inFrance had expired. Administering the above disciplinary regulationwas the head of the French police Joseph DARNAND in co-operation with theGBAF's counter-intelligence organisations (see para 172 below).Methods and procedure of Action Frankreich were as follows:H&uptabteilung Arbeit of Milit&rverwaltung Paris worked out aformula of French manpower requirements needed by the various industriesand the 0T, both in France.and in Germany. The formula was QalledAktion Frankreich. Inasmuch as it was based on manpower statistics ofthe year 1936 1 a Prflfngskommission (Examining Commission) was createdto investigate the practicability of the Aktion and to make recommendationsfor workable modifications. Next the Auskammungskommis3ion (Commissionfor Weeding out and Requisitioning of Superfluous Manpower for FrenchTrade, Industry and Agriculture) was established followed by theestablishment of the Zuweisungskommission (Classification and AssignmentCommission) which separated the fi t from the unfit and designated whowas to be deported to Germany and who was to be assignee! to the 0Tand other essential industries in France. Those assigned to the 0Twere required to sign a Verpf 1 ichtungsbescheid (Certificate of Obligation,C3AF Compulsory Labour Decree Form of 8 Oct 43> ^5230 a) which madethe conscripts 1 obligatory term of service of indefinite duration.Refusal to sign was to be noted on the form but did not. invalidate theobligation. The work of the latter two commissions was performed bythe French under German control, and with final decision in the hands ofthe German members of the commissions including the medical examiners.-lft­