▁dated ▁ 8 ▁September ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁H ess ▁announced ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁refuse ▁all ▁treatment ▁for ▁his ▁pro state ▁cancer ▁until ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁released ▁first , ▁saying ▁he ▁des erved ▁freedom ▁as ▁an ▁" un just ly ▁conv icted ▁man " ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁were ▁to ▁die , ▁his ▁death ▁would ▁be ▁on ▁the ▁cons ci ences ▁of ▁the ▁leaders ▁of ▁Britain , ▁France , ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁C yrus ▁V ance , ▁the ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁in ▁a ▁mem o ▁to ▁President ▁Jimmy ▁Carter ▁wrote : ▁" F ar ▁from ▁representing ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁ir r ational ity , ▁H ess ' s ▁well ▁considered ▁attempt ▁is ▁to ▁use ▁his ▁medical ▁condition ▁to ▁' force ' ▁his ▁release ". ▁H ess ' s ▁attempt ▁to ▁black mail ▁the ▁Al lies ▁with ▁the ▁threat ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁death ▁in ▁prison ▁caused ▁the ▁British ▁Foreign ▁Secretary , ▁Lord ▁Car r ington , ▁to ▁appeal ▁for ▁H ess ' s ▁release , ▁but ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Foreign ▁Minister , ▁And rei ▁G rom y ko , ▁refused ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁H ess , ▁who ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁death s ▁of ▁millions , ▁had ▁never ▁" sh own ▁even ▁a ▁shadow ▁of ▁rep ent ance ", ▁and ▁was ▁still ▁claim ing ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁innoc ent ▁man ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁fr amed ▁for ▁cr imes ▁he ▁had ▁not ▁committed . ▁G rom y ko ▁also ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁way ▁in ▁which ▁Wolf ▁H ess ▁had