18 Dec. 45
Here is one of the 24th of April 1934 that makes the
creation of a new, or continuance of existing, political Parties an act
of treason, 1934 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, Page 341.
Here is one of the 28th of June 1935 that changes the Penal Code, 1935
Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, Page 839.
Here is, the final one I will mention: 16 September 1939, permitting
second prosecution of an acquitted person before a special court, the
members of which were named by Hitler, 1939 Reichsgesetzblatt,
Part I, Page 1841.
Now, next are some laws that related to the extermination of the Trade
Unions, which I have already cited, and they are in Document Book G. I
will not refer to them. Then the laws abolishing collective bargaining —
I have referred to those; I will pass them.
In fact, even the infamous Nuremberg Laws of September 15, 1935,
although technically passed by the Reichstag, were nevertheless worked
out by the Ministry of the Interior. This is verified by a work of Dr.
Franz A. Medicus, Ministerialdirigent, published in 1940. It is Document
2960-PS, Exhibit USA-406. I would like to refer to the paragraphs at
Page 62 of the original publication, and translated in our Document
2960-PS. Beginning the first paragraph:
"The work of the Reich Ministry of
Interior forms the basis for the three 'Nuremberg Laws' passed by a
resolution of the Reichstag on the occasion of the Reich Party Meeting
of Freedom.
"The 'Reich Citizenship Law' as well as the 'Law for the
Protection of German Blood and German Honor' opened extensive tasks
for the Ministry of the Interior not only in the field ... of
administration. The same applies to the 'Reich Flag Law' that gives
the basis for the complete revision of the national flags."
A few decrees of the Council of Ministers which similarly supplied the
legal basis for the criminal acts and conduct of the conspirators, about
which the Tribunal has already heard and will hear more, relate to those
of August 5, 1940, which imposed a discriminatory tax on Polish workers
in Germany, and that is in 1940 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part 1, Page
1077; also the law of 4 December 1941, which imposed penal measures
against the Jews and the Poles in the eastern occupied countries, 1941
Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, Page 759. The last one was concerning
the employment of Eastern Workers, which I referred to this morning.
Almost immediately upon Hitler's coming into power, the Cabinet
commenced to implement the Nazi conspiracy to wage aggressive war. Three
of the documents that establish this point have already been introduced
in evidence. They are EC-177, 2261-PS,