Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-14
Look at David,
Or A|Cibiddes,
Or La Fdyette
BY PETER MARGOLEs

Int1 News sevvses staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON. May 14.-There
is ample precedent In history for
Rudolf Hess's flight from Germany
TO Britain, that has provided the
present war with one Of its most
fantastic episodes.
A study of historical and Bibli-
cal data revealed today at least
five comparable incidents, in which
the fight Of a single man changed
the course Of history.
Hess predecessors, however.
had no such convenient mode of
travel as the airplane, for they
range from Biblical days to the
French Revolution.
In any case. their examples may
shed light on the still-hidden
motives that underiie Hess's amaz-
ing action
DAvID's FLIGHT
One possible parallel was dis
covered In the Old Testament in
which it Is said that David. by his
popularity with the people. aroused
the anger of King Saul and was
forced to seek refuge in the enemy
Philistine camp
II Is reported In the Book OF
Samuel I that David simulated in
sanity to escape being trapped. But
he did not 20 over to the Philistine
side, the Bible reveals. He merely
bided his time until he could re-
\turn to his people.
An even stranger case occurred
during the Sparta-Athens war in
AIS B. c. when Alcibiades, the
Athenian dictator, was accused by
his enemies of having destroyed
the temple gods. Alcibiades put out
TO sea IN an attempted attack on
the Isle of Sicily. but he learned
that the Athenians were pursuing
him TO bring him back to trial. 50
he escaped to Sparta 10 become
chief technical adviser 10 the
Spartan forces.
SERBS DISSECTION
A third example, supplied by
Prof. Wesley Gewehr of Maryland
University. conce one Vuk
Brankovich, who allegedly turned
the tide OF battle at KobosSo
against the defending Serbs in
their war against the Ottoman
Turks in 1889 by aeseFtieH At q
crucial moment This was, ac-
cordiug to Doctor Gewehr. the de-
cisive battle in the capture OF the
Balkan Peninsula. although the
Turks did not take Constantinople
until 1883.
Brankovich was a rival of the
incumbent Serb ruler. Lazar. much
as Hess may be considered a rival
Of Hitler. and his detection TO the
other side probably was response
BILE for the defeat of his country
Vuk took 1900 men with him,
however, who no doubt were a
great aid to his cause
There Il no telling ~ yet"
said Doctor Gewehr. GUST what
IL the significance Of Hess
fight. But I offer the story Of
vuk Brankovich for what IL Is
worth"
CLOSEST PARALLEL
Probably the closest parallel
concerns Lafayette and Du Maui
krieZ in the French Revolution la
'Fayette. a former aristocrst Of
American Revolutionary fame
was commanding French troops
facing the Austrians in 1872. when
he was accused of treason by ex-
tremists with whom he was out
of sympathy. Threatened with
being called before the revolution
airy tribunal. ne fed to the Aus
TRANS, where he became a volun-
tary prisoner until 1876.
'Tk Fayettc never cooper
ated with his captors and for
mer enemies" explained Or.
Wood Gray of George Wash
ington University.
Strangely enough, LaFayette's
successor on the Austrian front,
DuMauriez, suffered the same fate
after he had lost a crucial battle,
and was accused of deliberately
throwing II to the enemy.