Evening star., 1946-10-02

blindly than all the rest. Two months
ago he told this court, "If I were
once more at the beginning I should
act once more as I did act even
though I knew that at the end ]
should meet death on a bonfire"
If Hess is not crazy, he is a great
actor. He could be either-or both
This heavy-browed, frizzle-haired
man of Al, with his sickly pallor and
permanent 5 o'clock shadow condi-
ton, gave the war one of its most
dramatic episodes in his 1941 flight
to Britain.
He gave this trial its most dramatic
episode when he told a shocked
courtroom last December 80 that his
'hysterical amnesia," attested to by
some Of the worlds foremost physi-
clans, had been faxed for tactical
reasons. Whatever his present con-
dition-o officially, he is adjudged sane
Europe Is where it is today, among
other reasons, because men like Hess
could be swayed to put blind trust
in other men forsaking all thought
Of principle.
Hess has a fanatics faith. He
also has a highly developed sense
Of drama which is still functioning.
Hess steps to the front of the
dock and assumes a stance looking
at~the visitors gallery. Twice the
guards try tos get him 10 put on
earphones-twice he brushes them
angrily aside. He does not hear
when the president announces his
sentence: Life imprisonment. He
walks casually out of the box with
out having bothered to find out
what is to become Of him.
Joachim Won Ribbentrop, as they
bring him in, still looks more like
a champagne salesman, which he
used to be, than like q foreign
minister, which he became. There
is no distinction to this man-it is
hard to picture him dealing in
destiny. Now he is pale as milk
and there are black circles under
his eyes. This man was the direct
agent of Hitler's designs against
the outside world. Death, says Jus
tice Lawrence.
Keitel Fine Figure.
Next to take the stage is a fine
figure of q man, handsome, erect,
substantial, gray-haired and gray
mustached Wilhelm Keitel, former
field marshal. former chief of the
Wehrmacht's high command, to
serve as Hitler's self-confessed tool
on the field Of battle, he had to COM
promise drastically with his own
concept Of a soldiers honor.
From his orders stemmed atroci-
ties which sickened the world.
Il believe I erred" he told the
court. That was my guilt
For his guilt, Prussian Soldier
Keitel, standing stifdy at attention,
now learns the penalty-death. He
leaves silently.
It is the turn Of Ernst Kalten-
Drummer, deputy to the suicided
Himmler as boss Of the Security
Police and sadistic brain behind
Nazi concentration camps and death
factories. He looks the part. At
43, he stands 6 feet 4 inches in
height. The angular, ugly head
with its long nose and hollow eyes,
is scanned with scars.
This is the man who, according
to testimony, laughed heartily at
executions in the Nazi murder mills.
He did not join the other defendants
in the dock until December 10-he
suffered a stroke on the eve of the
trial, after having wept Historically
for several weeks. A capillary let
go in the lining of his brain, causing
blood to seep into his spinal fluid.
He recovered, but still does not look
his jovial best as he stands stiffly
bowing to the court. Now the
slouching triggerman who did
Hitler's dirtiest work hears the world
judgment, spoken by Justice Law
rence-death. He makes another
deeper bow before leaving.
Looks Like Professor.
The fatal doors now open for
Alfred Rosenberg. He Is hand
some, intelligent looking and suave.
At SO he looks as If he might have
gone far as q professor. The Nazis'