Evening star., 1941-05-14
British Are Wary
OF Nazi Trick in
Handling Of Hess
Purpose Still Mystery;
Story Flight Protested
Soviet Accord Discounted
By WILLIAM I'll. STONEMAN,
Foreisn Correspondent of The Star and
Chicago Daily News.

Chicago Daily News.
LONDON, May 14.-Until he is
proved otherwise, Rudolf Hess is
going to be regarded by the British
government as a bloody bandit"
and handled accordingly.
If he proves friendly and it is con-
firned that he is neither up to some
NaZi trick nor bent on a peace mis-
sion, then he may be allowed GER
tain facilities. If he wants to be
unfriendly, then it is suggested he
may be thrown into jail on charges
of entering this country Illegally.
A great deal of nonsense has been
written about Hess and his activities
since he landed in Scotland by para
chute Saturday night and it has
been extremely difficult to write any
thing else. Those correspondents
who do know more or less what his
attitude has been and the circum-
stances under which he arrived and
the circumstances under which he
was identified, have not been al
lowed to tell the story for the usual
security reasons"
Purposes Still Mystery.
It may be permissible at the same
time to say that Hess purposes in
coming here are still mystery. 1t
may also be stated that the British
authorities are being extremely
careful in dealing with him and
that he will not be given the benefit
of any doubt. 1t may also be stated
that he has not yet been seen by
the Prime Minister.
The story that Hess fed Germany
as q result of his antipathy toward
Russia and Hitler's rapprochement
with Joseph v. Stain has not been
confirmed and should be taken with
q heavy dose of salt. There is some
reason to believe at the same time
Hess has been obsessed by the fact
that Germany failed to win the war
in the blitZ fashion and by his fear
of long war. He has frequently
made references in his speeches to
the heavy sacrifices that Germany
was making and there is even some
reason to believe that he was inter-
ested in patching up peace with
Great Britain at the first oppor-
tunity.
To this extent the German COM
r1unique issued yesterday afternoon
may have had great deal of sense
in II.
In appraising the value of stories
to the effect that Hess has been
writing his head off, that he has
been talking freely with Ivone A.
Kirkpatrick, former counselor of
the British Embassy in Berlin, and
that he is doing this or that other
thing should be borne in mind that
his trip here still is mystery.
Far From Landing Place.
While the former Nazi mogul's
whereabouts remain an official Sc
cret, it can be said that he is very
far from the place he landed.
Today's London Times warns
against exaggerating the signif-
canoe Of the Hess getaway as far as
Germany's domestic situation is
concerned.
"It would be wholly misguided to
suppose that his flight opens up the
prospect of any early break in the
cohesion of the German political
machine-still less of any slacken-
ing of German military efficiency.
But 1t reveals by a sudden flash that
deep abyss of bewilderment and
division into which Hitler has
plunged all right thinking elements
Of the German people"
~The military situation remains
tense and anxious" it concludes.
Indeed, 1t must be expected that
Hitler will seek by some striking
military achievement to mask the
loss of prestige which the rebellion
Of his leading coadjutor has in
fiicted on himself and his party and
his policies"
6 lctryright, 1e41, Chicago Daily News, Incl