NEW NAZI MINISTER

Southland Times, Issue 24832, 26 August 1942, Page 5

NEW NAZI MINISTER

Replacement Of Dr Frank (Rec. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 24. Hitler has appointed Dr Theirack President of the People’s Court ..and Minister of Justice. Theirack has also been appointed president of the Academy for German Law and head of the National Socialist Law Protection League. Announcing this, the Berlin radio said Hitler by decree had extended to Theirack special powers for the “powerful administration of the law.” He had also dissolved the Reich Law Office of the Workers’ Party. Hitler had authorized Theirack to “build up in accordance with my directions a National Socialist system of administration of justice and adopt all measures appertaining thereto. Theirack may in so„doing deviate from the existing laws.” Theirack’s task will be to bring the administration of the law completely under the control of the Nazi Party. Thus Hitler is using the powers voted to him by the Reichstag in April of this year when, under his orders, it made him the supreme legal authority in Germany. On that occasion Hitler declared that he must be given authority to enforce the law without regard to what he called “acquired rights.” The new Minister of Justice is leader of a brigade of the infamous Black Guards. The People’s Court is a notorious body which, sitting in secret, has for years functioned autocratically and independently of the old German legal system. In order that he may have the fullest possible control of the legal system he has been made also President of the Academy of German Law and President of the German Lawyers Association, in which offices he replaces Dr Hans Frank, the Governor-General of Poland. His task has been described as the “remodelling of the German legal system without regard to precedent or to previous law. The former Minister of Justice, who showed no enthusiasm for the Nazi Party, has been “removed from office at his own request.” The diplomatic correspondent of The Times says the wording of Hitler’s decree appointing Theirak Minister of Justice suggested that the German rulers are taking the precaution of developing the power of Himmler’s S.S. and Gestapo. Hitler’s announcement in April, when he indicated that he was prepared to set aside all laws if considered necessary, was not badly received by most Germans. Hitler’s goal is clearly a state outside all standard law ruled by a degraded caste selfstyled the elite. The new decree, therefore, is a fresh revelation of the evil forces against which the Allies are fighting.