Evening star., 1941-05-13
Reich Hierarchy
Broken, English
Sources Hold
(Other Stories About Hess on
Page A-3.)
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, May Rudolf
Hess, parachuting from a crash
bound Messerschmitt fighter
onto a Scottish moor last Satur-
day night-a potential bearer OF
Nazi secrets-broke the Hitler
hierarchy in a development that
may alter the course of the Euro
pean war, the British declared
today.
Authorities, casting aside, for the
moment at least, the crop of rumors
linked with this strange chapter in
a gigantic struggle of men. their
ideas and arms, insisted only that
Hess came to Britain sane and de-
fiant of the Nazi regime.
British sources said his 800-mile
flight was the voluntary act of q
rational man, showing that the
core Of Germany was rotten"
No Special Mission.
They declared that his was no
special mission he brought no
peace terms, but still the British
were the beneficiaries of q great
propaganda windfall, If not actual
military help.
The possibility of persauding Hess
who is held a prisoner of war, tc
broadcast to Germany and Nazi-
occupied countries 20 tell them
about inner workings in Germany
was suggested in lobby converse
tions today by some members OF
Parliament.
Lord Beaverbrook' Evening Stand
ard asserted that if Hitler had
wanted to use q peace "ruse" to
divide the British people he scarcely
would adopt so clumsy a device
as parachuting Hess down on Brit
ish soil.
There was some speculation that
Hess was in disagreement on war
strategy or that he retained his
early Communist ideas and
opposed closer German relations
with Soviet Russia.
Flight Took Courage.
Informed sources said tonight
that Hess flight to Scotland "ob-
viously entailed a high degree of
physical and moral courage" A
leg was injured when he bailed out.
Hess is in hospital bed and
has been equipped with army
pajamas," an informant said. He
is comfortable and, except for his
slight leg pain, he is quite we'll.
He is spending most of his time
resting, doing, reading periodicals
and writing"
This source added that he was
getting the usual simple hospital
food.
Reliable London quarters inter-
preted his flight as evidence of the
increasing realization among higher
circles in Germany that Hitler can
not win the war" in view OF United
States aid to Britain and other
recent developments.
Hess action obviously was die
tated by purely personal reasons, I"
said one source.
Appeared Little Tired.
Hess would not have come TO
Britain if he had believed Hitler
would win the war" q London au-
thority said, "as he would then fall
into the hands of his former asso-
ciates.
He would not have come to Brit
ain if he believed Hitler had q
chance to stage q successful invas-
ion of England in the near future,
for he'd then be in the power Of
those with whom he has elegantly
fallen out.
''It seems only logical that his
feelings on these subjects must be
shared with others in the inner
councils OF the Nazis."
Hess was said to have given the
impression that he recently had not
been getting outdoor exercise to
which he was accustomed, although
he appeared little tired from his
long flight.
His fatigue" 1t was explained,
appeared due to his remarkable
flight and his bailing out. an ex-
perience he never before en-
countered.
Nor had he ever before flown q
Messerschmitt no."
Fine Job Of Flying.
Hess did a fine job of flying for
one accused Of hallucinations. He
reached Scotland from Augsburg,
Bavaria, under cover Of darkness,
hunted for a place to set down his
fast Messerschmitt ITO, and, failing
that, bailed out while the plane
Continued on Page Az, Column g.