“Do you know that every woman who goes to work, sends one soldier to his death”?
The witness Draxler did not answer him. Then the accused left the apartment.
He denies, but has been convicted by, the trustworthy statement of the witness.
The remark of the accused aims at preventing a person from fulfilling the duty of registering for the total war effort. This attempt to burden the conscience of a woman who is willing to work by seeking to make her responsible for the heroic death of soldiers jeopardizes the devotion of women for work, and has a damaging effect on the nation’s fighting morale and its will of self-preservation in total war. The accused could not count on Mrs. Draxler keeping his remark to herself, but had to reckon with the fact that she would speak of the incident to other people and that his utterance would become known to wider circles.
Evidence
I. Statements of the accused.
II. Witness: Post office secretary, retired, Theresia Draxler in Vienna II, Scholzgasse Nr. 2.
I request that trial shall be ordered, detention pending investigation be maintained, and defense counsel be appointed for the accused.
As deputy:
[Signed] Dr. Barnickel