Late News ISSUE OF ALLIED CONFIDENCE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 23, 22 October 1942, Page 6

Late News ISSUE OF ALLIED CONFIDENCE

Behind Hess Affair PRESENT TREATMENT DEFINED LONDON, October 21. The Foreign Secretary, Mr. Eden in a statement in the House regarding Hess, said that the Soviet Government had made no suggestion to Britain that Hess should be placed on trial immediately. Asked by an Independent member whether Hess “lives in exactly tiie same status of comfort or discomfort as the ordinary prisoner of war,” Mr. Eden replied, “Yes,, Sir. That is bis status.” (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Received October 22,12.45 a.m.) LONDON. October 21. "The sooner a British, statesman makes a statement of the Hess case the better,’ said the “Daily Telegraph’s” . Moscow correspondent earlier today. Unless ‘Pravda’s’ editorial demand for the immediate trial of Hess meets with a healthy British reaction the Moscow campaign for immediate punishment of the German war criminals will be continued. "Pravda's” article has probably merely caused irritation in London, but Russian party political opinion must be taken into account. Russian Motive. “A possible explanation of the Moscow campaign is that it is intended to key up anti-German feeling in Britain. Nothing so far has calmed the uneasiness over the Hess affair caused in Russia, and Russian public opinion will not be eased till the Hess incident is liquidated, or removed from the British jurisdiction. “It is useless to tell the Russians that Hess is held in one of Britain’s nastiest jails.” “The Times” in a leading article says: “No reason appears to have been advanced why action against Hess, who was a prisoner of Britain before Russia was a belligerent, should be pressed at present Such a step would be contrary to the British viewpoint that the proceedings against the war criminals should be based on an examination of the evidence, which would hardly become available during the war, and it could only serve as a pretext for a campaign of frightfulness against British prisoners in Axis hands. . . ,? . i ' '. - “These reasons make it impossible to accede to the Russian proposals. It is . safe to say that nothing at present would be heard of Hess if British and American . armies were fighting in Europe. The present controversy has few merits, but it is important because it raises the broad, issue of confidence between the Allies. If there were full Anglo-Russian confidence it would be impossible for a responsible Russian newspaper to‘ ask whether Hess was regarded as a German envoy in England, enjoying immunity, or to imagine that whatever is done or not done to Hess now or hereafter can have the slightest bearing on the British determination to uproot Hitlerism. Dispel Suspicion

“None of the United Nations can justly reproach its partners with weakness of spirit or slackening resolution. Confidence will be established only when the conviction .exists on Both sides that the war against Hitler is one war, not two, and it can be planned as one war only through, unified machinery of grand strategy. ' The difference of opinion on strategy between Russia and her allies would not have assumed the present dimensions except for the Russian .suspicions that ‘forces in Britain are not wholly behind the Anglo-Russian alliance. Such forces can constitute only a tiny minority without influence on official thought and policy, and it should not be difficult for Britain by word and deed, to demonstrate their insignificance.” Berlin radio, commenting ou the Russian demand for the immediate trial of Hess, said, “If this criminal plan is carried out Germany will take most drastic reprisals.”