Griffin W.E.B. - The Corps 08 - In Dangers Path

«That may be it, sir.»

«We're going to have to see if we can't get you a star, Bill, so that you'll feel at home.»

There was dutiful laughter.

«Speaking of generals,» Frank Knox said, «is someone going to volunteer to tell me why General Rickabee is joining us?»

«An administrative matter, Mr. Secretary,» Admiral Leahy said. «We were a little pressed for time. The General met us here, and we'll deal with the matter after lunch.»

«What sort of an administrative matter? Important enough to have Pickering bring Fritz here? And look uncomfortable when I asked why?»

«There was a radio from Chungking,» Admiral Leahy said. «Something we all felt should be dealt with before General Pickering left for Hawaii.»

«Now mv curiosity is aroused,» the President said. «I always get very curious when people are reluctant to talk about anything.»

Everyone looked at Admiral Leahy, who took a long moment to collect his thoughts before beginning:

«Mr. President, you are aware that at your direction, and against my recommendation and that of General Marshall, we sent a magic device, together with the personnel to op—«

«Hold it a second, Admiral,» the President interrupted. «I just had another one of my inspirations. Correct me if I'm wrong, Frank, but didn't you have Fleming commissioned because you knew he would report back to you what you should know, rather than what people wanted you to hear?»

«That's correct, Mr. President,» the Secretary of the Navy said.

«You have the floor, General Pickering,» the President said, tempering the order with one of his famous smiles. «Proceed.»

«What we know for sure, Mr. President,» Pickering began, «is that someone ran off at the mouth about the magic machine going to Chungking.»

«Has magic been compromised?» Roosevelt asked, now deadly serious. «Is this what everyone has been working up the courage to tell me?»

«We don't believe, based on the facts available—« Admiral Leahy said.

«Admiral,» the President interrupted impatiently, «General Pickering has the floor.»

«Sorry, sir,» Leahy said, flushing.

«What we do know for sure, Mr. President, is that when Colonel Banning got to Chungking, they knew he was coming and why.»

«Banning took a magic machine to Chungking?»

«Two machines, sir.»

«Who is 'they' as in 'they knew he was coming'?»

«The signal officer and his deputy, sir.»

«And they don't have magic clearances? Then how in the hell did they find out?»

«We don't know that yet, sir.»

«How many people knew what was happening?»

«It's a very short list, sir,» Pickering said. «Aside from the people in this room, only those people in JCS who were involved.»

«Your people were involved, Fleming,» Donovan said.

«Plus, of course, two people at OSS, besides Colonel Donovan and me,» Pickering said icily. «And I don't think any of my people even know anyone in Chungking—certainly not these signal officers.»

«What about the cryptographers in Chungking?» Donovan asked.

«So far as I know, they know

no one

in Chungking,» Pickering said.

«Okay,» Donovan said. «That narrows it down to people in my shop and people at the JCS.»

«Admiral, we can't have things like this,» the President said. «It has to be nipped in the bud.»

«I agree, sir,» Admiral Leahy said.

«I'll leave getting to the bottom of this to you. As well as ensuring that it—or the circumstances that permitted it—never happens again.»

«Yes, Mr. President,» Admiral Leahy said.

«And I want Bill Donovan and Fleming Pickering involved. Fleming, you might not be able to get away today. I want you here until this is resolved.»

«Yes, Mr. President,» Pickering said.

«I think General Rickabee should be involved, too,» Navy Secretary Knox said. «He's very good about finding snakes under rocks.»

It was obvious that neither Admiral Leahy nor General Marshall liked the suggestion. Neither protested, but both looked at the President for his decision.

«That might prove very useful,» the President said.

«What about Operation Gobi?» Knox asked. «Is that compromised too?»

«This signal officer—his name is Dempsey—asked Colonel Banning what McCoy and Zimmerman—«

«McCoy?» Roosevelt interrupted again. «The young chap who was with Jimmy at Makin Island? Who briefed us on General Fertig?»

«Yes, sir. He's going into the Gobi Desert to try to establish contact with the Americans there.»

«What's this signal corps officer got to do with that? I thought it was agreed that you and Bill—the OSS—were going to undertake that mission.»

«Apparently, Mr. President, this fellow wanted to know what Captain McCoy's special mission was. On the JCS orders on which Banning and the devices went to Chungking, it was referred to, vaguely, as a JCS mission. When Banning refused to tell him—«

«As well he should have,» the President interrupted.

»—this General ordered Banning to have McCoy report to the OSS Station Chief in Chungking,» Pickering went on.

«I don't understand,» the President said.

«Until I got Colonel Banning's Special Channel, Mr. President, I didn't know there was an OSS station in Chungking.»

«You didn't know about an OSS station in Chungking?» the President asked.

«No, sir, I did not,» Pickering said, looking at Colonel Donovan.

«That's odd, isn't it, Bill?» the President said to Donovan. «The signal officer in Chungking knows about an OSS station there, and the OSS Deputy Director for Pacific Operations doesn't?»

«Mr. President—« Donovan began.

The President held up his hand to shut him off. Then he kept him waiting while he fished a cigarette from a silver box, stuffed it into his holder, and waited for the steward to produce a light for it. Then he went on, calmly, not smiling: «Do what you have to do, Admiral,» the President said, «to straighten out this 'administrative matter.' Just as soon as we finish our lunch.»

«Yes, Mr. President.»

note 64

The White Room

The Office of Strategic Services

The National Institutes of Health Building

Washington, D.C.

1405 28 March 1943

Immediately after lunch, in the corridor outside the presidential apartment. Colonel Donovan suggested that the most suitable place to conduct their business would be at the OSS. «It would attract attention if Pickering, Rickabee, or I appear at the Joint Chiefs of Staff,» he argued. «The White Room will provide a secure space, and it's equipped with microphones, in case Admiral Leahy would like a written record of what was said.»

Admiral Leahy nodded his agreement.

When Admiral Leahy's Cadillac limousine, the White House Packard limousine that had carried Pickering, Hart, and Rickabee to the White House, and Donovan's Buick Roadmaster rolled up outside the White House, Donovan made a «follow me» gesture to the Buick's driver and climbed into Leahy's Cadillac.

Once they were in the White House Packard, Rickabee gave voice to what Pickering was thinking: «I wonder what that sonofabitch is saying to Leahy?»

«We'll find out soon enough, I suppose,» Pickering replied.

As soon as the small convoy arrived at the National Institutes of Health Building, Leahy and Donovan got out and waited for the others to join them. «Colonel Donovan,» Leahy began, «has pointed out to me that he is an attorney and has experienced distasteful interrogations. Would either of you object to his conducting the interrogations? We will be able to listen on earphones, he tells me.»

«Sir, what if we have questions Colonel Donovan didn't think to ask?» Rickabee asked.