862.504/454
The Ambassador in Germany (Dodd) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 5.]
Sir: I have the honor to report on the law adopted by the Cabinet at its meeting June 26, establishing universal labor service. The Cabinet at the same session, the last, it is stated, before a long pause in its work for the summer, adopted a number of other important laws which will be reported in separate despatches, including one providing a legal basis for civil air defence, various amendments to the criminal code, a law envisaging the intervention of the Minister of the Interior in legal questions affecting the Evangelical Church, and a law providing [Page 277] tax immunity for General von Mackensen on an estate put at his disposal by the State of Prussia.
Announced to take effect July 1, the law under discussion provides that labor service is service in honor of the nation, that the entire German youth of both sexes will be called upon to take part in this institution the aim of which is to train it in National Socialist community spirit and employ it in the execution of work for the common good. The labor service is placed under the competence of the Minister of the Interior.
Stating that regulations regarding the service of women still remain to be drawn up, the law then prescribes the conditions for men, setting forth that the obligation shall commence for the latter upon the completion of their eighteenth year and shall last until the completion of their twenty-fifth year of age. Men and women liable for labor service who are living abroad, or who contemplate residing abroad for an extended time, may benefit by a relief from service of two years. This same period of exemption may be granted conscripts generally, and in urgent cases, based upon professional considerations, may be extended to five years at the most. Much in the same manner as the military conscription law, men serving in the labor service are forbidden, without prejudice, however, to membership therein, to take an active share in the affairs of the Party or its organizations. On the other hand, membership in the Party may be acquired during the term of service without special procedure.
A supplementary decree of the Führer, following in general the indications given in previous despatches, sets the term of service at six months, and limits for the present the number of men in each term to 200,000. The conscripts for labor service, comprising men born in the year 1915, are being called up for muster at the same [time?] as the military recruits of the class of 1914; the first half of the 1915 class will commence their labor service on October 1 of this year, and the second half on April 1, 1936. Men who have completed their education when 17 years old may volunteer for labor service. Exemption from the obligation is made in favor of those who are in possession of a labor pass acquired through previous voluntary service, and the exclusion is ordered in the law of persons who have been convicted of various crimes, deprived of citizenship rights, or who are physically or mentally unqualified.
In general, persons of non-Aryan descent are likewise excluded from service, although the same exceptions are made in favor of those who are found acceptable by the procedure of examination laid down in the military conscription law (see page 7 of the Embassy’s despatch No. 2000 of May 27, 1935). On the other hand, such non-Aryan persons cannot hope to become officers in the labor service.
Provisions in the law concerning those who are to be leaders in [Page 278] the labor service state that aspirants must pledge themselves in writing to a ten-year period of training and service, must be of Aryan descent, and must likewise have performed their active military service.
The press commentaries state that owing to the insufficiency of camps and leaders it would have been impossible to provide for immediate entry into service of the large number of girls falling under the obligations of the law.
Respectfully yours,
Counselor of Embassy