English Translation

Prague, January 15, 1941. 82 Declaration of the Reich Protector on the fight against fraud and on the safeguarding of food bases in the Protectorate - issued by Secretary of State K.H.Frank to the competent Czech ministers of the department under the chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Minister, gentlemen! On behalf of the Lord Reich Protector, I have asked you to accept the following official statement: The German Reich is in an exceptionally silent and bloody war, which is fought by the whole nation under all forces. The kingdom and the peoples belonging to it are under martial law. The state of war is an exceptional state. Exceptional states require exceptional means to guide and carry out them. All forces of the nation are totally mobile to defeat the last enemy in a very short time and bring about the final victory. We stand before decisive events, to whose design all forces must be put in place, the victory of the weapons will be given to our glorious army, the home front - these are all civilian forces in the new great empire, without distinction of the nation - has to contribute without hesitation yours to victory. Those who fail to do so or refuse to use them will be punished in full in accordance with martial law. This also applies to people or circles who work for their personal interests to the detriment of the general public and sabotage regulations adopted for the benefit of the public. It is well known, gentlemen, that the nutritional situation in the Protectorate is very serious. The causes of the tense food situation are: 1. the poor harvest in the Protectorate in 1940, 2. the cattle population in the protectorate was insufficient for its own needs and 3. the lack of significant reserves in the protectionate. You are also aware that for these reasons - especially because the countries of Bohemia and Moravia are unable to dispose of their own stocks - the empire has repeatedly entered with considerable help. You are also aware that the Czech whispering propa ganda claims the opposite of these facts, that in the interests of the enemies of the Reich it makes a policy and promotes dark machinations, such as creeping trade, sabotage actions, etc. However, you are also well aware that, in the end, the Lord Reich Protector repeats the protectorate government on the necessity - 2