W. IV - Honor Bound 05 - The Honor of Spies

"Since the Soviets don't officially know about it, and inasmuch as they are our trustworthy ally, and allies are not supposed to spy on one another, J. Edgar Hoover is having a hell of a time dealing with Russian spies. He's not even supposed to be looking for them. Counterintelligence is intended to keep the Germans and the Japanese from learning about it."

"But the Germans know about it?"

"In two ways," Dulles said. "Generally, because it's no secret in scientific circles that everyone is working to develop a nuclear bomb; and also, with some specificity, because Gehlen's agents in the Kremlin have access to the material the Soviet spies are sending. And I think we have to presume that the Germans are sharing at least some of their knowledge about the Manhattan Project with the Japanese."

"My God!"

"So after a good deal of thought, Colonel Graham and I decided we could not refuse what Gehlen and Canaris were offering, and also that we could not take the proposition to Colonel Donovan. That we would have to conceal the operation from him."

"Which is on its face disloyalty and more than likely constitutes dealing with the enemy," Graham said. "Which is one of the reasons I thought it would be best to keep you in the dark.

"And there is one other problem we avoid by not bringing Donovan and the President into this: Treasury Secretary Morgenthau. I would judge that he hates the Nazis and Hitler more than anyone else in the Cabinet. He's Jewish and he knows what the Germans have been doing to the Jews. Neither Mr. Dulles nor I can envision any circumstance in which Morgenthau would countenance our providing sanctuary in Argentina to any Nazis, no matter what benefits might accrue to the United States by so doing. We are both agreed that if this arrangement came to Morgenthau's attention and Roosevelt didn't immediately bring it to a halt, Morgenthau would go to the press with it."

There was a moment's silence.

"What are you thinking, Clete?" Colonel Graham asked.

That's the first time he called me anything but "Frade" or "Major Frade."

What the hell!

Clete shrugged, then said, "You asked, Colonel. What was running through my mind was that this operation gives a whole new meaning to the term 'insubordination.' "

"What I told myself when I considered this dilemma," Graham responded, "was that I have sworn an oath to defend the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. Vice President Wallace, Morgenthau, and, for that matter, Eleanor Roosevelt, whose good intentions I don't question for a second, are in a position to cause the United States great harm. I am duty bound to keep them from doing it while I am engaged in something I really believe will help my country--and probably save a hell of a lot of lives in the process."

"When I took that oath," Frade said, "there was a phrase about obeying the orders of the officers appointed over me."

"Which is what you're doing," Graham said. "If this thing blows up in our face--as it very well may--Mr. Dulles and I are prepared to say that you knew nothing of what you just heard. I don't think it will do any good, but we'll do it."

Frade grunted, and there was another silence. Then he asked: "Are you going to tell me how I'm supposed to get these Nazis off the plane in Buenos Aires?"

"Let's start with the first two," Graham said. "Alois Strubel is an obersturmbannfuhrer--a major--in the SS. The Waffen-SS, but the SS. He and his sergeant major, Hauptscharfuhrer Otto Niedermeyer, fell for the Fatherland on the Eastern Front about two weeks ago. They were buried with military honors."

Frade's eyebrows rose, but he said nothing.

"Frau Strubel and their two children were apparently killed--their bodies were never found--in a bombing raid on Dresden on September 11. Frau Niedermeyer and their son were killed in a raid on Frankfurt an der Oder two days later, and buried in a mass grave the next day.

"When all these people arrive in Lisbon, which probably will be the day after tomorrow, the women will be wearing the regalia prescribed for the Little Sisters of the Poor--"

"They'll be dressed as nuns?" Clete said.

Graham smiled and nodded, and went on: "--which noble sisterhood roams the streets of Germany picking up children orphaned by the bombing. Through the largesse of chapter houses in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, these children are taken from the war zone to those countries, where, it is to be hoped, they will be adopted by good Catholic families, but failing that, cared for in orphanages maintained by the Little Sisters of the Poor.

"There are already large numbers of these orphans in Lisbon awaiting transport, which until now, of course, had to be by ship."

"And that problem of moving people between South America and Europe," Dulles offered, "also affected the Vatican. As I'm sure you know, Cletus, the Vatican is sovereign; in other words, it is a nation according to international law. In every country there is a Papal Nuncio, a high-ranking clergyman who speaks for the Pope.

"He is in fact the ambassador, and the residence of the Papal Nuncio for all practical purposes is the embassy of the Vatican. And it is, of course, staffed as an embassy is staffed. And the Vatican has to move people--not only their 'diplomats' but also members of their various religious congregations--back and forth between Rome and South America.

"Somehow, the Vatican heard that South American Airways was going to establish scheduled service between Lisbon and Buenos Aires, with a stop in Belem . . ."

"I wonder who told them that?" Clete asked innocently.

". . . and they approached the SAA representative here . . ."

"I didn't know SAA had a representative here," Clete said.

"Oh, yes," Graham said. "A chap named Fernando Aragao."

"Where did he come from?"

"Connecticut, actually. He went to Brown, but we don't talk much about his time in the United States. He was born here and has Portuguese citizenship. Before this, he was in the business of exporting cork and sherry and other things to the States. You're going to have to work out the details of his employment with SAA when you're here, but for the moment I suggest you let Mr. Dulles finish what he was saying."

"What does this guy know about me?"

"Nothing he doesn't have to," Dulles said. "He does know that you both have files in the National Institutes of Health. Good chap; I'm sure you'll get along well. But, as I was saying, the Papal Nuncio here approached Senor Aragao, saying he was prepared to negotiate for a block of ten seats on every SAA flight between here and South America, said seats to be used for the transport of Roman Catholic religious. The Papal Nuncio further said that should there not be ten religious moving to South America on any one flight, he would like to use their empty seats to transport the orphans of the Little Sisters of the Poor, ones he wanted to move to South America but really hated to send on such a long ocean voyage."

"Jesus Christ!" Clete said.

"Payment is to be made in advance, in gold, pounds sterling, or dollars, in either Switzerland or Buenos Aires."

"Curiosity overwhelms me," Clete said. "How did the Papal Nuncio know to go to Senor Whatsisname?"

"Fernando has been here since early 1942," Dulles said. "During that time, he made a point to cultivate the fellow. They've become rather close friends. But let me continue: Fernando also told the Papal Nuncio that, whenever this is possible, SAA will carry such additional passengers as the Papal Nuncio may send--for whom there is space; unsold seats, in other words--at a special, lower price. As a gesture of respect for the Holy Father and the good works of the Church of Rome."

"I'll be a sonofabitch," Clete said. "Tell me, do you think the Papal Nuncio happens to know Father Welner?"