WORKING OVERTIME

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

WORKING OVERTIME

GOEBBELS' MINIONS NEW VERSIONS DAILY HESS' LETTER TO DUKE | (Rrrd. 'i,:to p.ni ) LONDON, May 14 I The German version of the Hess episode has undergone further modifications. The latest version of the incident declares that the documents left by ITess revealed the real motives of his escapade. He is now stated lo have embarked on his flight with the intention of effecting a meeting with the Duke ol Hamilton, an eminent sportsman, with whom he made acquaintance during the 1986 Olympic Games in Berlin, with the purpose of preparing the ground for a German-British understanding. In connection with this German news message it can now bo revealed that Hess had in fact attempted to communicate with the Duke by letter some ! months ago. The Duke immediately placed the letter in the hands of the security authorities and no reply was made to Hess.

Premeditated Escape This newly-authorised German version of Hess' intentions affords further circumstantial evidence that his escape was carefully premeditated. It is to bo remembered that Hess was leaving Germany under very extraordinary circumstances. and admittedly contrary to authority. By so doing he was clearly running grave personal peril. It should, therefore, have been a perfectly understandable course for him to leave behind letters which would have put an innocent construction on his action. A German official, says a message from Berlin, to-day declared that Hess, in papers which they arc now examining, said he expected to return to Germany in two days.

"The papers revert 1 that he expected the British to supply him with enough petrol t'or the return flight after ho had convinced them of the folly oi their rulers," said the spokesman. '"Hess had no knowledge of the war plans of Germany's military leaders. He was. however, acquainted with the German information that the war would end not only in the defeat hut the destruction of England." The official added that Hess wrote saying that he did not want to speak to Mr. Churchill under any circumstances. Patently Absurd It is pointed out in T/ondon that the German story that Hess thought he could return is absurd. As a prisoner of war he would have known that such liberty would be out of the question. Indeed, if any such idea had been entertained, it would indicate a certain lack of mental balance entirely contrary to the now established fact'that Hess is sane.

The German official spokesman qualified the earlier German communiques by an admission that Hess could not be considered 100 per cent insane. The spokesman said Hess was an able man except when pain from the wounds he received in the last war induced illusions. This reply was given to journalists who questioned the insanity theory.

The German Government has now forbidden soothsayers, magicians, astrologers and similar persons to appear on any German stage.

STUCK TO HIS PLOUGH McLEAN AND NEWSREEL MEN (Reed. I'J.IO a.m.) LONDON, May 15 Mr. David McLean, the Scottish ploughman who found Hess, resented being filmed by newsreel men, and went on ploughing. Mr. McLean's mother received a telegram from a New York woman signing herself Sarah Lynn: "You did a magnificent job. Hurrah for the Scotch! I'm one."

Mrs. McLean's terse comment was: "That woman has more siller than sense." RETURN TO LONDON EX-MINISTER TO BULGARIA (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, May H Interviewed on his, arrival by air from Cairo, the former British .Minister to .Sofia. Mr. G. W. Rendel, said: "The Bulgarians appreciated my work and treated me well to the last, but three weeks before I left the Gestapo gained complete control. We all watched the name and address taken of everybody visiting mv military or air attaches. If they were Bulgarians they just disappeared to concentration camps."

SWEDISH COMMENT BRITISH UNITY OF PURPOSE (Reed. 7.10 p.m.) LONDON, May 14 An interesting comment on the recent House of Commons' debate on the war situation is made in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, which says that it is characteristic of the British, that, in spite of the fact that Parliamentary criticism is stronger than it ever has been during the life of the present Parliament. a practically unanimous vote of confidence in Government policy was passed.

"This is the British custom when the people are faced with a life and death struggle. Strong difference of opinion regarding methods, and an unswerving unity as to the end in view appear to some people so curious that they cannot grasp it —yet it is a fact of fundamental importance in the present world crisis/' the Swedish paper states. "The debate also had definite psychological importance—Mr. Churchill was not criticised for being too brutal, lie was rather criticised because his methods were not ruthless enough. This is also characteristic of the British, and could not occur elsewhero. "The British people have gradually been awakening to a realisation of the catastrophe which threatens them, yet, after all this timo, it was stated in the debate on Cyrenaica and the Balkans 'that Britain has not by a long way exerted her full military or industrial potentialities.' "

MORE MALTA DAMAGE LONDON, May 14 Enemy aeroplanes raided Malta on the night of May 11, causing some damage to civilian property and slight damage 011 the aerodrome, says a British official wireless message.