27 Nov. 46
These laws will be discussed more extensively in connection with
other sections of our presentation. They have been discussed by Mr.
Dodd in connection with the economic preparations for the war.
The second secret Defense Law I offer in evidence as our serial
number 2194-PS. I offer it as Exhibit USA-36.
As to that document I only intend to read the two covering
letters:
"Reich Defense Law; the Ministry
for Economy and Labor, Saxony; Dresden 6; 4 September 1939;
Telephone: 52.151, long distance; Top Secret.
"Transportation Section, attention of Construction Chief
Counsellor Hirche or representative in the office; stamp of receipt
of the Reich Protector in Bohemia and Moravia; received Prague, 5
September 1939, No. 274.
"Enclosed please find a copy of the Reich Defense Law of 4
September 1938 and a copy each of the decrees of the Reich Minister
of Transportation, dated 7 October 1938, RL/W/ 10.2212/38, Top
Secret, and 17 July 1939, RL/LV 1.2173139, Top Secret, for your
information and observance.
"By order, signed Kretschmar. 3 inclosures. Stamp: complete
to Dresden, 4 September 1939, signed Schneider.
"Receipt for the letter of 4 September 1939, with 3
inclosures, signed 5 September 1939, and returned to Construction
Counsellor Kretschmar."
The whole point being that it was enclosing a
second secret Reich Defense Law under top-secret cover.
Now, next I refer to Indictment, Paragraph IV (F) 2 (a). That
paragraph of the Indictment refers to four points:
(1) Secret rearmament from 1933 to March 1935; (2) the training
of military personnel (that includes secret or camouflage training);
(3) production of munitions of war; and, (4) the building of an air
force.
All four of these points are included in the general plan for the
breach of the Treaty of Versailles and for the ensuing aggressions.
The facts of rearmament and of its secrecy are self-evident from the
events that followed. The significant phase of this activity insofar
as the Indictment is concerned, lies in the fact that all this was
necessary in order to break the barriers of the Versailles Treaty and
of the Locarno Pact, and necessary to the aggressive wars which were
to follow. The extent and nature of those activities could only have
been for aggressive purposes, and the highest importance which the
Government attached to the secrecy of the