| |
While it may be noticed that
this letter states that such a child can be taken from its mother only by her
consent, the letter proceeds to state that the mother "has to be made to
consent." Of course, through no stretch of the imagination can the forced
agreement of a slave laborer in the Reich, working under the conditions to
which these laborers were subjected, be termed a "consent".
The role of
RuSHA in the abortion program was principally carried out, so far as basic
directives are concerned, by the defendants Hofmann and Hildebrandt. On 13
August 1943, Hildebrandt wrote concerning abortions: |
| |
"I should like to emphasize
especially that the necessity for the racial examination, which take place upon
the suggestion of the SS Race and Settlement Main Office, also applies here.
"The directives for the RuS field leaders' decision in the racial
examination are the same as the ones laid down by me through the ordinance of
13 August 1943 to be applied in decisions about applications for pregnancy
interruption for Eastern female workers.
"All files of cases in which
the RuS field leader refuses the pregnancy interruption are to be submitted to
the Race and Settlement Main Office together with photographs and addresses of
their relatives, so that they may be examined in the light of inclusion into
the re-Germanization program." |
| And 10 days later, Hildebrandt, in a
memorandum marked "Secret", stated: |
| |
"Enclosed find the Order of the
Reich Leader SS and Chief of the German Police of 27 July 1943 which has been
issued in agreement with the Race and Resettlement Main Office for your
compliance.
"The carrying out and the decision on the treatment of the
pregnant women, as well as of the expected children, is the responsibility of
the SS Leader for Racial and Resettlement matters. The regulations issued by
me, in regard to the decisions on applications for interruption of pregnancy,
also correspondingly apply to the decisions of the SS Leaders for Racial and
Resettlement matters. * * *
"Naturally the opinion of the SS Leader for
Racial and Resettlement matters is the decisive one in the judgment. * * *
"Though I have already done so in the regulations on the decisions on
the interruption of pregnancies, I want to point out once more the grave
responsibility which has been assigned to the SS Leaders for Racial and
Resettlement matters by this new order, i.e., to especially further all
valuable racial |
111 |
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