Amnesty

Secretary of State Byrnes had promised to help Germans win their way back to a decent place among the nations. In the guise of a small Christmas gift, the U.S. again acted on his promise. On Christmas Eve, in Frankfurt's icy-cold Roemerberg Square, where once German emperors were crowned, General Joseph T. McNarney, European Theater Commander, announced an amnesty for 800,000 "lesser" Nazis. Purpose: to "encourage those who come under its terms to seek the ways of democracy."

The amnesty would apply to low-income Germans "whose financial status conclusively shows that they have not profited from Nazi greed and ambition." Lesser Nazis who are more than 50% disabled would also be freed. Some two million Nazis not covered by the amnesty must still await trial.

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