EXPLOITING HESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23966, 16 May 1941, Page 9

EXPLOITING HESS

BBITISH PROPAGANDA HAMMERING IT HOME BROADCAST TO GERMANY (fiord. 0.15 p.m.) LONDON. May 15 British propaganda broadcasts to Germany, which have been almost continuous since the arrival of Hess, took a sharper tone yesterday. This is what the Glernians are being told: ''We always knew your gang was a pretty rotten crew, corrupt and lacking in solidarity. "Hess' flight has confirmed this view, and wo are very glad to have your Number Three in our hands. Nevertheless, we are not being fooled into relaxing our bombing, or slackening in our war effort generally, because the German war machine must bo smashed. "We are treating Hess merely as a Nazi who saw the writing on the wall, and left while the going was good. Hess knows Hitler's plans; lie knows the capacity oi Germany. If you knew as much as Hess you would probably also get out if you were able."

A British Broadcasting Corporation official said that all this and much more was being hammered home to the Germans 10 times a day. He explained: "We are giving the Germans every fact we have because we know they will be listening." News bulletins using Hess as "bait" are being broadcast in German from London every hour. The bulletins emphasise that five months ago Hess promised the Germans peace in 1911, and went to Britain because he saw no hope of a German victory. The bulletins also point out that the extra petrol tank fitted to Hess' aeroplane proves that he must have had ready helpers in his escape. Reports from the German frontier tell how greatly interested are the people of German-occupied territories in the British broadcasts. The local people pass on the British news to the bewildered German garrisons.

DUKE OF HAMILTON BOXER AND AVIATOR FLIGHT OVER EVEREST Better known as the Marquess of Douglas and Cyldesdale, "the Boxing Marquess" and the pilot wno flew over Mount Everest in 1933, the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon is the premier peer of Scotland and 14th holder of the ducal title, to which he succeeded last year on the death of his father. The duke, who was born in 1903, is the eldest of four athlete brothers, three of whom are aviators. He was educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford, where lie distinguished himself as an all-round athlete. Devoting himself with great energy to boxing, he represented Oxford against Cambridge as a heavy-weight, competed in the Scottish championships and tried hard for inclusion in the British Olympic toam, but without success. Before finally leaving the ring to take up aviation, he fought policemen, miners and labourers, and, although defeated as often as he won, he always managed to put up a good fight. In 1930 he was elected to Parliament for the eastern division of Renfrew as a Conservative by a large majority, and held the seat until he succeeded to the dukedom last year. Everest Expedition As an aviator, the duke gained both A and B licences and was well qualified for his part as chief pilot of the Mount Everest flight expedition, the aim of which was to make a photographic survey of the mountain for exploratory and scientific purposes. On a trial flight in a specially-designed aeroplane he rose from an Indian airfield to 37,000 ft. and remained at that height for 15 minutes. Later he and 'FlightLieutenant D. F. Mclntyre, each with a passenger, made two flights over Everest, obtaining excellent photographs on the second occasion. For this feat he was awarded the Air Force Cross in the 1935 New Year Honours. Like his next younger brother, Lord Nigel Douglas-Hamilton, the duke holds the rank of wing-commander in the Auxiliary Air Force. Another brother, Lord Malcolm Douglas-Hamil-ton, is a flying-officer in the Royal Air Force Reserve. Ducal Marriage

In December, 1937. the duke married Lady Elizabeth Percy, sister of the late Duke of Northumberland, thus uniting two noble families which, being on opposite sides of the border, had in past centures been sworn enemies. The following year his youngest brother, Lord David Douglas-Hamilton, married Miss Prunella Stack, well known as head of the League of Health and Beauty. The duke is a Privy Councillor and holds the office of Lord Steward. He made a tour of New Zealand a number of years ago, as did his brother-in-law, the late Duke of Northumberland, who was killed last year in the retreat to Dunkirk. Lord Malcolm DouglasHamilton visited the Dominion in 1938 to make arrangements lor a tour by a party of English public school boys.

deserting hitler RAUSCHNING'S prediction Hess' desertion of Hitler and his cause is unintentionally predicted in the final chapter of the book of reminiscences, "Hitler Speaks," by Dr. Hermann Rauschning. formerly Nazi president of the Danzig Senate, who fled from Germany in 1934.

Dr. Bauschning ends his book, which was written when there was no immediate prospect oi a second world war, with an imaginative description of Hitler's thoughts as he sat alone in his eyrie on the summit of a Bavarian peak and brooded on the uncertain future. "Everyone is suddenly turning against him. There is no one lie can trust any longer, not even Hess. Horribly ugly chap, to tell the truth, that Hess, with those deep-set little eyes, those unlovely prominent cheekbones. Hess, too, is disloyal. They are all lving in wait for him. They have borrowed his technique, his cunning and trickincss. There is no sincerity and honour among the party members. Each one of them watches the next like a mortal enemy. That was a good plan at the outset, when ho was making his wav and approaching power with this insubordinate crew. He was able to plnv off one against another. But now there is no one he can rely on, 110 one who is not thinking of himself and his own future. . • *"