26 Nov. 45
"I request that the copies of
the Reich Defense Law needed within the units of the Armed Forces, be
ordered before 1 July 1935 at Armed Forces Office (L) where it is to
be established with the request that the law should only be
distributed downto corps headquarters outside of the Reich Ministry
of War.
"I point out the necessity of strictest
secrecy once more." Signed by "Von Blomberg."
Underneath that is an indorsement:
"Berlin, 3 September 1935; No. 1820/35 L Top
Secret IIa. To Defense-Economic Group G-3, copy transmitted (signed)
Jodl."
There is attached thereto, if the Tribunal please,
the statute referred to as the Reich Defense Law of 21 May 1935, or
rather it was enacted by the Reich Cabinet, and it starts with the
statement: "The Reich Cabinet has enacted the following law that
is hereby made public."
There follows a law in detail covering preparations for state of
defense, mobilization, appointment of this Plenipotentiary-General
for War Economy, with plenipotentiary authority for the economic
preparation of the war, and a Part III providing for setting of
penalties.
The law is signed:
"The Führer and Reich Chancellor, Adolf Hitler; the
Reich Minister of War, Von Blomberg; the Reich Minister of the
Interior, Frick," one of the defendants. And at the bottom of it
there is this note-that is on Sheet 4 of the original German, I
think:
"Note on the Law for the Defense
of the Reich of 21 May 1935. The publication of the Law for the
Defense of the Reich of 21 May 1935 will be suspended. The law became
effective 21 May 1935. The Führer and Reich Chancellor, Adolf
Hitler."
So that although the law itself stated that
it was made public, the publication was suspended by Adolf Hitler;
although the law became immediately effective.
There is farther attached a copy of the decision of the Reich
Cabinet of 21 May 1935 on the council for the defense of the realm
which deals largely with organization for economic preparation for
the war and which I think was discussed by my colleague, Mr. Dodd,
last week.
There can be no question that this law of May 21, 1935 was the
cornerstone of war preparations of the Nazi conspirators. The
relationship of the Defendant Schacht to this preparation is made
transparently clear by this captured document.
So much, for the time being, on the preparatory phase of the
conspiracy, 1933 to 1936.