There can be little doubt but that Strength
through Joy has become an important force in present-day 
German life. By virtue alone of the vast
sums of money it sets into motion it has become a
national economic factor, while socially and politically it is yielding returns in giving pleasure to
large numbers of the masses and in helping unite the
country psychologically by furthering acquaintance
and exchanges of impressions between hitherto highly
differentiated provincial peoples. As an institution now so enormous that the worker can hardly avoid
contact with some form of its activity within or outside 
of his factory, Strength through Joy seems indeed 
to have achieved a totalitarianism of its own which
at the same time reflects and subtly promotes that of
the National Socialist Party which created it. Strength
through Joy does indeed seem to offer the worker a surplus 
value over and above his real wages, as Dr. Ley
was quoted as saying at the beginning of this report.
Whether or not this is done from an entirely clear
motive or for the ulterior purpose of diverting demands 
for higher wages perhaps admits of some debate.
In this connection the following general index figures
given on page 43 of the semi-annual report of the
REICHS-KREDIT-GESELLSCHAFT with respect to average
net weekly wages during certain key years are interesting: 
1929 - RM 39.5; 1932 - RM 26.3; 1937 -
EM 31.2. National Socialists look upon Strength '
through Joy as in part compensating for the wage decrease 
shown in a comparison of the averages for the