▁Sub sequ ent ▁German ▁newspaper ▁reports ▁described ▁H ess ▁as ▁" del ud ed , ▁der anged ", ▁indicating ▁that ▁his ▁mental ▁health ▁had ▁been ▁affected ▁by ▁inj uries ▁sust ained ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁Some ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁government , ▁including ▁G ör ing ▁and ▁Pro pag anda ▁Minister ▁Joseph ▁Go ebb els , ▁believed ▁this ▁only ▁made ▁matters ▁worse , ▁because ▁if ▁H ess ▁truly ▁were ▁ment ally ▁ill , ▁he ▁should ▁not ▁have ▁been ▁holding ▁an ▁important ▁government ▁position . ▁ ▁Hitler ▁stri pped ▁H ess ▁of ▁all ▁of ▁his ▁party ▁and ▁state ▁offices , ▁and ▁secret ly ▁ordered ▁him ▁shot ▁on ▁sight ▁if ▁he ▁ever ▁returned ▁to ▁Germany . ▁He ▁abol ished ▁the ▁post ▁of ▁Deput y ▁F ühr er , ▁assigning ▁H ess ' s ▁former ▁duties ▁to ▁B orm ann , ▁with ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁Head ▁of ▁the ▁Party ▁Chan cell ery . ▁B orm ann ▁used ▁the ▁opportunity ▁afford ed ▁by ▁H ess ' s ▁departure ▁to ▁secure ▁significant ▁power ▁for ▁himself . ▁Meanwhile , ▁Hitler ▁initi ated ▁A ktion ▁H ess , ▁a ▁fl ur ry ▁of ▁hundreds ▁of ▁arr ests ▁of ▁ast ro log ers , ▁faith ▁he al ers ▁and ▁occ ult ists ▁that ▁took ▁place ▁around ▁ 9 ▁June . ▁The ▁campaign ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁propag anda ▁effort ▁by ▁Go ebb els ▁and ▁others ▁to ▁den igr ate ▁H ess ▁and ▁to ▁make ▁sc ap ego ats ▁of ▁occ ult ▁pract ition ers . ▁ ▁American ▁journalist ▁Hub ert ▁Ren