Socialist Party; and as
the latter represents the will of the nation, the policy
adopted by it in harmony with the vital interests of the
nation is at the same time the policy adopted by the country
... The National Socialist Party is the only political party
in Germany and therefore the true representative of the
people ...[70]

To Dr. Ley, the party is identical with the Fuehrer. As he wrote in the
_Angriff_ on April 9, 1942 (document 6, _post_ p. 184), "The National
Socialist Party is Hitler, and Hitler is the party."

The role of the party in legislation, in political matters, and in the
appointment of Government officials is indicated by the Fuehrer's
decree of May 29, 1941,[71] as amplified by the order of January 16,
1942, concerning its execution.[72] (Document 9, _post_ p. 212). This
order provides that all legislative proposals and proposed laws and
decrees, as well as any proposed changes therein, must pass through
and receive the approval of the Party Chancelry.

_2. Party Membership_

Details concerning the qualifications and duties of party members are
contained in the _Party Organization Book_ for 1940 (document 7,
_post_ p. 186).

Membership is finally confirmed by the issuance of a
membership card or a membership book. Anyone who becomes a
party member does not merely join an organization but he
becomes a soldier in the German freedom movement and that
means much more than just paying his dues and attending the
members' meetings. He obligates himself to subordinate his
own ego and to place everything he has in the service of the
people's cause. Only he who is capable of doing this should
become a party member. A selection must be made in
accordance with this idea.

Readiness to fight, readiness to sacrifice, and strength of
character are the requirements for a good National
Socialist. Small blemishes, such as a false step which
someone has made in his youth, should be overlooked; the
contribution in the struggle for Germany should alone be
decisive. The healthy will naturally prevail over the bad if
the will to health finds sufficient support in leadership
and achievement. Admission to the party should not be
controlled by the old bourgeois point of view. The party
must always represent the elite of the people.[73]

German blood is one of the prerequisites for pa