At 3:45 a.m. that night [November 10, 1938] the following telegram was issued by the Gestapo Section II:

The following orders of the chief of security police [Heydrich] are to be executed urgently and immediately:

1. according to the latest orders in accord with the Political Leaders all kinds of arson are to hindered;
2. all orders issued and yet to be issued in this affair are to be stamped SECRET,
3. without exception every Gestapo head office and office is to submit two reports on the execution of the Aktionen and their effects, particularly about egregious episodes, to the Gestapo section II. The first report must be submitted by this morning November 10 at 5 a.m. at the latest, the second report by seven a.m. this morning at the latest to the Gestapo HQ,
4. receipt of confirmation of this message is awaited urgently via the Blitz teleprinter Munich No. 47.767 [i.e. Heydrich's telex number].

signed "p.p. Bartz"

 

Mr Rampton argued in the Lipstadt trial that the acts of arson which were to be halted (Hess-Anordnung of 2:56 a.m.) were limited on Hitler's orders solely to German property and shops [Geschäfte]. But here Heydrich, who Mr Rampton contended was acting at all times on Hitler's orders, is clearly ordering a halt to ALL acts of arson, not just against German property and shops. Since I specifically referenced this telegram in note 49 of GOEBBELS. MASTERMIND OF THE THIRD REICH, at page 613, it was staggeringly dishonest of the Defendants to pretend that this telegram does not exist. It destroys their entire argument.

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Source: Institut für Zeitgeschichte publication, Tagebücher eines Abwehroffiziers 1938-1940 (Stuttgart 1970), page 157, n277.