17 Dec. 45
The trial brief dealing with the criminality of the
Reich Cabinet sets forth the evidence as to the identity of various
ministers comprising the Cabinet, and I shall not deal with that
subject. The presence of the Reichsleiter and other prominent members of
the Leadership Corps in the Cabinet facilitated the domination of the
Cabinet by the Nazi Party and the Leadership Corps.
And I omit the next paragraph down to the law of July 14, 1933.
A law of 14 July 1933 outlawed and forbade the formation of any
political parties other than the Nazi Party and made offenses against
this a punishable crime, thereby establishing the one-party state and
rendering the Leadership Corps immune from the opposition of organized
political groups. I now quote from Document 1388-PS, that being the
English translation of the "Law against the Formation of New
Political Parties" stated in Reichsgesetzblatt, 1933, Part
1, Page 479; and I quote the first two articles of this law, which read
as follows:
"The National Socialist German
Workers' Party constitutes the only political party in Germany.
Whoever undertakes to maintain the organizational structure of another
political party or to form a new political party will be punished with
penal servitude up to 3 years or with imprisonment of from 6 months to
3 years, if the deed is not subject to a greater penalty according to
other regulations."
I will
skip the next paragraph.
I now quote from Document 1398-PS, which is the English translation of "Law
to Supplement the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil
Service," dated 20 July 1933 — 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt,
Part I, Page 518.
On 13 October 1933 "A Law to Guarantee Public Peace" was
enacted which provided, inter alia, that the death penalty or
other severe punishment should be imposed upon any person who "undertakes
to kill ... a member of the SA or the SS, a trustee or agent of the
NSDAP ... out of political motives or on account of their official
activity."
THE PRESIDENT: Where is that you were reading, 1398-PS?
COL. STOREY: Yes, Sir; 1398-PS. I am in error, Sir, it is 1394-PS just
previous.
THE PRESIDENT: Which article are you reading?
COL. STOREY: I am afraid I don't have the reference, but here is the
quotation, I think it is on that one page. "A Law to Guarantee
Public Peace," and then it has to do — it is Article 2, I
believe — Paragraph 2, Article 1.
I next refer to Document 1395-PS, which is the English translation of
the Law on Security and the Unity of Party and State