The emergency decree limiting the freedom of the press, which becomes effective today, provides for the suppression of newspapers if they abuse religious communities or call for violence against them.
The Jewish population is waiting to see whether the implementing of the decree will be applied to the Nazi press when it abuses Judaism and Jewry.
The decree provides for fines and suspension of publication for a period up to six months for the purpose of securing “to the government an absolute instrumentality for effectively preserving its authority and undisturbedly carrying through it work of reconstruction.”
The measure is directed primarily at the opposition press, namely the Social Democratic press and the Communist press which have been outspoken in their criticism of the present government, headed by Adolph Hitler as Chancellor.
The Federation representing the entire German press has forwarded to President von Hindenburg a protest resolution against the decree demanding the right to influence public opinion without restraint.
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