THE NAZI HOME FRONT

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 198, 19 May 1941, Page 8

THE NAZI HOME FRONT

Signs Of Disunity HESS’S FLIGHT TO BRITAIN German People Shaken

(British Official Wireless and Press Assn.) (Received May 18, 7 p.m.)

RUGBY, May 17.

Mr. Greenwood, Minister without portfolio, speaking at Deptford said: “When a man occupying such an important official position in the Xazy hierarchy as did Herr Hess flees his country and puts himself in the hands of the enemy it. looks as though all is not well on the German home front. Disunity, doubt and disillusionment are growing and will continue to grow within the German Reich. The Nazi foundation upon which Germany’s grandiose edifice of military aggression rests has begun to show signs of internal stress and strain. I will not say it is cracking, but it is certainly becoming chipped. It should be additional encouragement and incentive for us to increase our efforts still further and endure still greater hardships to speed our victory.

“We have proved that our spirit is unbreakable, our island is unconquerable, but we have still to make-our arms irresistible. Let us then draw new faith, strength and energy from lhe knowledge that all is not weli within Germany. Let us redouble our efforts to increase the stress and strain which has already begun to undermine Nazi unity and loyalty till the pressure brings the Nazi tyrant down into' the dust of defeat and retribution.” Piece of Melodrama. The Home Secretary, Mr. Morrison, sneaking at Hackney said: “ We can at least be grateful to Herr Hess for providing the British people with a good deal of entertainment in the midst of grim times. He has been the hero or villain of a piece of real life melodrama that. would have won rounds of applause from the Drury Lane gallery in the old days.

“I have no Hess guess. Instead 1 will give a few hard facts. Hess. Hitler’s right hand man, is like the rest of them, a brutal thug, whose hands, like Ms master’s, are stained with some of the worst political crimes of modern times. Hess takes his share of the guilt for the murder of hundreds of comrades in 1934.

“So highly did Hitler think of his peculiar capacities, that he made it his task to out-Gestapo the Gestapo. This gangster is now in our hands. He is.going to stay in our bands. It does not matter what kind of animal he is—whether he is rat number one of the Trojan horse, or just over here in the vain hope of finding innocents to play with. The main thing is that be is caged.

“There is just one more fact to add , tr. this. Whatever his reason for eom- ' ing here, the German people, to put it mildly, are very much shaken by the whole episode. They chose between two or three different explanations, all ..f them equally unpalatable. Meanwhile we have seen the edifying sight of Goebbels spending the last few days revolving rapidly on his axis—chasing Lis own tail.”

Speculation on Motives.

Though interest in Herr Hess is not being allowed to obscure the wider issues of the war, speculation is still rife about die motives of his escape from Germany, and tlie meaning of contradictory contortions of Dr. Goebbels’s propaganda machine to explain the astounding event in a manner palatable to the Nazis.

Tlie fact that it was revealed today that the letter from Herr Hess which Ihe Duke of Hamilton immediately handed to the authorities contained a suggestion for a meeting on neutral territory to discuss peace certainly lends colour to the latest Nazi picture of Herr Hess as a messianic idealist, but it is no reflection whatever on the sanity of a man who may have thought a negotiated peace was the only possible hope for Germany in the dangerous situation to which her war adventure is leading her. At the same time, the picture ef Herr Hyss as an idealist, the latest figment of the overworked imagination of the German propagandists, hardly squares with the truth as stated by the “Daily Telegraph.’’ “Hess, more than any other man but Hitler, is responsible for - the abominations of the concentration camps and the Gestapo,” it says. “Be lived and throve and made himself important by murder, torture, and persecution. Such is the Hess religion.”

The “Daily Telegraph” adds a timely warning. “Though one of the chief Nazi gangsters has deserted,” it says, “that does not diminish by one jot the urgency of the development of our utmost fighting power now. We must ant be deflected or deterred from the lol! and sacrifice of our task by the fantastic melodrama of Hess.” Sjr Nevile Henderson, former British Ambassador in Berlin, gave his view on the escape of Deputy Fuehrer Hess to Britain. He described Hess as an absolutely fanatical supporter of i lie Nazi system who was honest and -im-ere. The impression Hess's Hight had created in Germany, he said, ruled •mt tile theory that he had come to Britain on a secret mission.

In Sir Nevile’s opinion, the Deputy Fuehrer hud become convinced in the last two years that Nazism as it ha.l developed was on the wrong track, and that it was being used to serve the lot of the thorough-going scoundrels of Germany such as Himmler, Ribbentrop, and the general party bosses who acted solely for themselves. Ho regarded Hess as an adopted son. of Hitler, a man to whom Hitler was devoted, amt who was devoted to Hitler. Hess was one of the first men to join the Nazi movement. Sir Nevile Ihought his number was 21, and Hitler's 7. It was considered in Germany ro be a great distinction to la? among the first 100. Sir Nevile said he did not think that Hess hud come to Britain to give away Gerraan secrets or that be had come as ■■ spy. His momentous step showed 'm.w deep the feeling in Germany must be today, knowing as he did when he ;,,ok Hie step that it would cause fury and resentment on the part of the lead-

in reply to a question. Sir Nevile said: “You can be quite easy. The Government will not treat Hess as anything but a Nazi.’ Colonel Frank Knox. United .States Secretary for Hie Navy, expressed his personal view of the Hess affair in Washington today. He concluded that Hess was sane and that lie tied to Scotland “two jumps ahead of the gun.” “You know. I come from Chicago.” said Colonel Knox, "and there

they put the linger on you. That is what they are doing to Hess." Nazi Attitude.

The German Government is doing everything possible to stop the people of Germany thinking about the Hess affair. Thursday’s German broadcast declared that the flight of Hess had been completely unravelled, and that statement was intended effectively to put an end to the story. Friday's German broadcast for home listeners imide no mention of the Deputy Fuehrer, and neutral correspondents in Berlin are now being told that the incident will soon be swamped by bigger news.

Dismissing the Hess affair as settled so far as Germany is concerned, the Berlin radio said that everybody was again turning attention to the military campaign. The Fuehrer, after numerous unsuccessful offers, had recognized that only the might of German arms could break the British rulers, with their mad ideas.

The Berlin correspondent of Hie United Press stales that reports are current that Professor Karl Haus hol’er. a leading exponent of the “Is'bensraum" theory has been arrested. German officials neither confirm nor deny the report, but state that it would not be surprising if the whole firm (meaning apparently Hess's associates) are being rounded tip. Hess, who was Haushofer’s favourite pupil, was the means of bringing Hitler and 1 laushofer together. Hess's plane is not to be exhibited in London. Circumstances make its showing impracticable.

A German broadcast disclosed that Hess's plane was a long-range reconnaissance type, not yet in service with the Luftwaffe.