HESS WAS WELL PREPARED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21963, 15 May 1941, Page 5

HESS WAS WELL PREPARED

Must Have Received Assistance Extra Petrol Tank Was Fitted By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rec. 6.30) LONDON, May 14. Further details of the flight made by Rudolf Hess to Britain suggest that in the preparations for the venture he was helped in Germany. While waiting at the farmhouse in Scotland, near which he landed. Herr Hess was in the custody of two Home Guards, who said that Herr Hess had a map with his route from Augsburg to Scotland marked in blue pencil. He also carried a supply of compressed food. Herr Hess told his escort that he had fitted an extra petrol tank to the Messerschmitt to ensure that it covered the 800-mile flight. When he arrived over Scotland he circled around, but could not see a suitable landing ground in the gathering dusk. He then climbed a few thousand feet, turned the machine upside down, and switched off the engine. As he felt himself falling, he switched the engine on again, so that the machine crashed into the ground. Herr Hess was removed to a military hospital. In the military hospital he has an officer looking after him and, except for a slight pain in his ankle, he is quite comfortable. He looked tired after the strain of his flight and his first experience of bailing out. It is officially stated in Berlin that the letter Hess left behind will not be made public. It is reported from Glasgow that Mr David McLean, who captured Herr Hess, was the hero of the war to-day.

Mr McLean said: “I was amazed ana a bit frightened when I saw a parachute dropping with a man hanging from the straps, and I concluded that he was a German. I raced to the house to get help, but everyone was asleep. Fearing that I might lose him, I returned alone.” Mr McLean added: “My mother and sister prepared tea, which Hess refused, but he drank a glass of water. Our visitor, while awaiting the military authorities, chatted freely.”

Mention in House of Commons Referring to Herr Hess in the House of Commons, Mr Churchill said: ‘‘l have nothing to add at present to the statement issued. Obviously a further statement will be made in the near future on the flight to this country of this very high and important Nazi leader.” Mr Churchill's assurance of a further statement in the near future was given in response to a number of questions. One member asked Mr Churchill to see that the Minister of Information “dealt with the news of Herr Hess’s flight with skill and imagination.” After an outburst of laughter, Mr Churchill replied: “I had the opportunity of being in company with the Minister of Information up to a very late hour last night, but I think this is one of these cases where imagination is somewhat baffled by the facts as they present themselves.” It is stated in London that there are available so far only Berlin reports regarding the reasons for Herr Hess’s flight, but it was presumably made as a result of disagreements with other prominent Nazis and possibly a natural and unbearable revulsion towards the other members of the gang. It is not known wjiy Herr Hess gave a false name, but possibly there has been some mistake regarding this. Any suggestion that he has lost his memory is incorrect. A photograph of H e rr Hess’s aeroplane showed bullet holes in the tail. Officials suggested that Herr Hess might have outdistanced German pursuers, who opened fire.

“Flight of Defeatism” The Berlin correspondent of the United Press of America states that an authorised Nazi spokesman’s version Indicates that the Germans are doing their utmost to discredit Herr Hess by discounting his feat as laughable and stating that his flight was one of defeatism because it was taken at a time of great German victories. The Nazis claim that if Herr Hess had been normal he would have gone to Sweden or some more accessible spot. The spokesman added that Goering had been made Hitler’s first heir because Herr Hess was generally of a retiring nature, and in a certain sense was a singular man. Herr Hess’s family was as surprised as anyone else. The spokesman said that additional communiques could be expected because the Hess matter was not closed.