Page [7]

the Hitler regime. These groups, how-
ever, never received official recognition
from the Party.
It was emphasized by the Party treas-
ury officials that Lockerung was never
intended or employed as a free-for-all
suspension of the closed perio(d, but was
rather, both as proposed and as carried
out, a plan for admitting people who had
been active in the Nazi movement since
memberships were closed in 1933. They
maintain that even though the number
of people who joined the Party during the
Lockerung exceeded the number who
joined in 1939 when the gates were re-
opened, these people represented a very
careful selection; since in every single
case of admission during the Lockerung,
political activity had to be proved.
The Mitgliedersperre was suspended as
of 1 May 1939. Further temporary clos-
ures were called from time to time for
administrative purposes, but the next in-
definite closed period did not occur until
2 February 1942. Exceptions to these clos-
ings were members of the HJ and BDM,
honorably discharged members 'of the
Wehrmacht who had distinguished them-
selves in sevice, resettlers, (especially
from Southern Tyrol and the Sudeten-
land), and (after 20 July 1944) soldiers
still in service who had proved them-
selves good National Socialists. Other
exceptions had to be an-
German public in general had no knowl-
edge 'of the decree; many applicants who
were refused ;at that time for being over-
age claim today that they were rejected
for political reasons.
MEMBERSHIP SELECT AND VOLUNTARY
The primary fact is established that
the NSDAP was not at any time intended
to encompass the entire German popula-
tion. Hitler's own conception of the ideal
proportion was a mere 10 percent of the
total population. It was a qualitative,
not a quantitative, group, designed to be-
come a nucleus of the most reliable and
trustworthy German elements (in the Nazi
sense), who would blindly support the
Hitler government at any time and under
any circumstances.
That this aim necessarily connoted vol-
untary membership is made officially
clear in the Organisationsbuch der
NSDAP:
"According to a statement of the Fueh-
rer only the best National Socialists shall
be admitted into the NSDAP ..... The
call for a German into the Party denotes
to him a special honor and distinction,
because herewith he becomes enrolled
into the following of the Fuehrer. The
principle of voluntary entrance into the
Party must never be abandoned or tam-
pered with in any way. This principle of
proved individually by the
Party Chancellory (Martin
Bormann).
On 14 July 1942 Hitler
decreed that nobody over 35
should henceforth be accep
ted for membership. This
decree was not intended to
be published until after the
end of the war, although it
was strictly followed until
the   end   of   1943.   The
Can the llcilers be healed? AIG's
job is to ready germany for re-
admission  to the world family.