ADSS 8.120 Angelo Rotta to Cardinal Maglione: Race laws approved without mitigation

ADSS 8.120: Nuncio Angelo Rotta to Cardinal Luigi Maglione

Reference: Report number 5806/41 (N. Pr. 396) AES 5995/41

Location and date: Budapest, 26.07.1941

Summary statement: Hungarian race laws have been approved without mitigation.

Language: Italian

Text:

The question of the racist laws, which have been the subject of my previous reports (see n. 5763/41, n. pr. 391, of 19.07.1941 and before), is nearing its conclusion.

As expected, the House of Deputies did not accept the benign modifications suggested for Article 9 as proposed by the Upper House. (Who should be considered a Jew)

So the commission of the two chambers met together to find a way of conciliation.  This was achieved and, returning almost to the original language of the article that was approved by the House of Deputies with some small adjustments made so the Ministry of Justice can make exceptions in extraordinary cases.  Article 15 was completely changed in the sense that if falls under the penalties of the laws regarding prostitution [literally: the sex trade] between a person considered to be a Jewish woman and an honest non-Jewish woman of Hungarian nationality. (2) The transformation of the article in question will stir up some competing interpretations of the competence of the legal system, denying the competence of the commission that met, and presenting these changes, which are in effect a new law. To me it is a settlement made to preserve the peace in order to avoid a conflict between the two houses,  Now that both houses have accepted the resolution of the Joint Committee the question is now finished.

In the clipping from “Pester Lloyd”(3) I have attached Article 9 which was finally approved, and Article 15 mentioned above.

Note of Maglione (on a separate sheet)

Study the text to find our grievances. (4)

References: 

(1) ADSS 8.95, 111, 116.

(2) Article 15 of the new law followed the Nuremberg Laws outlawing any sexual contact between Jews and non-Jews.

(3) Not published in ADSS.  Edition of the paper was 24.07.1941.

(4) See ADSS 8.128.