Evening star., 1945-11-28
Hess Is NOT Insane,
But Suffers Hysteria,
Doctors Tell Court
BY DANIEL DE LUCE,

by DANIEL lie LUCE,
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent.
NUREMBERG, Nov. 28.-Ru-
dolf Hess, Hitler's onetime
deputy, was described by psychi-
artists today as mot insane at
the present time in the strict
sense of the word" and the In
ternational Military Tribunal
announced that arg u m n S
would be heard Friday on the
Nazi leaders plea to escape the
war crimes trial on grounds of
amnesia.
The British psychiatrists' report
revealed that Hess had tried to COM
NIT suicide on several occasions
since his sensational and mysterious
flight to Scotland in May, l941.
Declaring that Hess was not in
sane, the psychiatrisJs conceded that
his loss of memory would interfere
with his ability to make his de-
Tense" Hess went on trial on war
crime charges last week with 10
other top Nazi leaders, but has paid
scant attention to proceedings
reading a novel much of the time
and giggling occasionally.
Austrian Fifth Column.
AS the days proceedings unfolded,
franz Won Papen and Arthur Seyss-
Inquart were described by American
prosecutors as leaders OF the fifth
column which paved the way for
Hitler's invasion of Austria in 1898.
American prosecutors met their
first setback of the trial when the
court ruled against their move to
introduce an affidavit from Kurt
Schuschnigg, deposed as chancellor
and Jailed for seven years by Hitler,
in which he told of Nazi plotting
against Austria.
Schuschnigg, the first of many
European leaders to be called to
Berchtesgaden for the Hitler treat
ment of intimidation and terror,
may get his revenge in person, how
ever. by appearing to testify against
the Nazi leaders
Defense Contention Upheld.
The Austrian leaders aff1davit was
made only last November 19 in
Nuremberg and the tribunal upheld
q defense contention that Schusch-
nigg should testify personally in
stead of by affidavit. Lord Justice
Sir Geoffrey Lawrence ruled that
either side could summon Scnusch-
nigg to testify
In mass of government docu-
ments, letters and sffidayits, the
prosecution showed that Won Papen,
known as Germanys wiliest diplo-
mat, was sent by Hitler as minister
to Austria in 1884 to bring, in the
diplomats own words, slowly in
creaSing pressure" against Ger
manys neighbor.
Seyss- -Inquart, who uc ce e
Schuschnigg as chancellor in the
coup just before the German in
vasion, was described by Assistant
American Prosecutor Sidney S.
Alderman as the original Quisling." :"
Correspondence between Austrian
and German NaA leaders was in
troduced to show Seyss- Inousrt's
role in fomenting unrest that was
evidenced in 1894 when NaA plot
ters aSSaSsinated Austrian Chancel-
lor Englebert Dollfus.
Report on Examination.
Reporting on results of mental
examinations. British, Russian and
American psychiatrists agreed that
Hess loss of memory was self
induced.
Hess, the medical board reported
is suffering from 'hysteria" and lin
addition, there is conscious ex-
ageeration of his loss of memory
and a tendency to exploit 1t to pro-
tect himself against examination. =
The Russian psychiatric report
followed the other reports in de-
scribing Hess as hysterical, but
fatty stated that his present be-
havior docs not exonerate him
from the responsibility under the
Indictment"
The Russian report revealed that
Hess tried to stab himself in the
heart while under detention in Eng
land.
Refused Treatment.
The British report recommended
that IF the court decides to pro-
coed with the trial, the question (of
Hess sanity should afterward be
reviewed on psychiatric grounds
The report added that Hess loss
of memory would not entirely inter-
fere with his comprehension of the
proceedings"
The Russian report stated that
Hess refused to undergo treatment
for his amnesia and told doctor on
November Is that he would take all
measures to cure his amnesia only
upon completion of the trial"
Referring to Hess flight to the
British Isles TO offer peace pro-
posals to Britain, the British report
said:
Partly as a reaction to the fail
ure of his mission these abnormali-
ties (delusions he was being poi
soned) got worse and led to suicidal
attempts"
Early Schemes on Austria.
AS today's session opened, the
prosecution presented evidence from
an American diplomat that the
Nazis schemed from their earliest
days of power to absorb Austria.
The charge that Reichmsrshsl
Hermann Goering and others of the
20 now in court openly spoke OF
annexing Austria to the Reich was
made IN an AFFIDAVIT by George S
Messersmith, former American Min
lister to Austria and now Ambassa
dor to Mexico.
Hitler's lightning invasion of Aus.
tria in March, 1888, represented the
Towering of the fifth column" de-
clared Mr.. Alderman. who declared
that the Fuehrer,s plans for acqui-
sition of the country were shown on
the first page of "Mein Kampf"
From the beginning of the Naz
governenent, I was told by high and
secondary government officials In
Germany that Incorporation of Aus
tria into Germany was a political
and economic necessity and that this
inrnryoro fior mas on;,,r ta Io