by Ward Wagher
“How so?”
“If this had happened a month earlier, I would have liked to travel on over to Palestine from Lisbon, since I was on that side of the world. I was hoping to get some direct input from the Jews. Considering the behavior of the Brits, I felt I needed to be back here. Plus, I sensed that we didn’t want to be too anxious to show up in Jerusalem.”
“I hear ya,” Wallace smiled. “Considering how our British friends are likely to react, it might be wise not to stir them up any more than absolutely necessary.”
“And we’re getting ready to do that, anyway.”
Wallace looked at the little man. “The B-17s?”
“Exactly. We have the airplanes, and they have the money. It makes sense.”
“I talked to General Marshall about it,” Wallace said. “We have five hundred B-17s we really do not know what do to with. They do not have the range we need for the Pacific war. He was excited about the possibility of selling them.”
“And the Germans offered us twenty-two million for a hundred of them.”
“Do you think they would trade some more U-Boats for the B-17s?”
“I asked,” Truman said. “Schloss was very uncomfortable about that.”
“Admiral Nimitz wishes to use our Americanized U-Boats to go after the Japs soon.”
“And you’re uncomfortable with that.” Truman made a flat statement.
“Right. I worry about committing our forces in dribs and drabs.”
“How many U-Boats would we need to ensure that Japs got kissed?”
Wallace shrugged. “I don’t know. But, I don’t think twenty-five would do it.”
Truman set his coffee cup and saucer down on the table between them. “Are the U-Boats we bought better than the submarines we are building?”
“I asked Admiral Leahy about that,” Wallace replied. “Our subs have longer range and seem to handle better on the surface. Our propulsion systems are better. The U-Boats can dive deeper and are generally better under water. And the German torpedoes are better.”
“So that tells us that we need to concentrate on our own designs.”
“Except that our intelligence has discovered the Germans are working on their next generation of U-Boat, and they are attempting an order of magnitude improvement. Our conclusion is that we need to have our hands on that as well.”
Truman rubbed his hands together and picked up his coffee cup again. “While we are cordial with the Germans at the moment, it wasn’t that long ago we were about to go to war with them. I am not sure they would agree to sell us their newest submarine technology.”
“It never hurts to ask.”
“Well, yes,” Truman replied. “But, I can’t see us asking them to sell us their top-secret tech that nobody is supposed to know about.”
“It’s not that secret,” Wallace said. “We heard about it from the Brits.”
Truman looked surprised. “May I ask?”
Wallace grinned back. “Our back-channel contacts with the Brits are still fairly solid. This was something they wanted us to know about. How do you suppose Schloss would react to our knowledge of that?”
“Hmmph,” Truman grunted. “Schloss would probably have a heart attack – especially if he knew we got that from the British.”
“I wish we had heard about this sooner. It would have been interesting to watch Schloss’s reaction if you had told him about this in Lisbon.”
“What are your ultimate goals with Germany, Mr. President?”
Wallace looked surprised at Truman’s sudden change of tack. He looked down at the coffee table, and then pulled the saucer from the top of the cup. He took a careful sip – the coffee was still very hot.
“I have been pondering that, Senator. We need to be thinking beyond just the end of the war. We have two empires facing each other across the English Channel. One is old and tired; the other is youthful and vigorous.”
“And immoral,” Truman added.
Wallace held up a hand. “Bear with me. In my personal opinion, any imperialist venture is immoral, regardless of who initiates it.”
“Including us?”
“Including us.” Wallace nodded firmly. “The British are caught in the trap of trying to preserve something that is crumbling. They need to transition to post-colonialism, and I am not sure they know how. Now, the Germans have marched across Europe, and have annexed a lot of territory. Some of it was to settle scores. I believe the Germans were badly used in War One.”
“Hitler’s policy of lebensraum, or living space, was imperialistic,” he continued, “and now Schloss is stuck with the results. I wonder if he might not know quite what to do.”
“Which brings us back to my original question,” Truman said.
“Correct. For the short term, we need to keep the Brits and the Germans at arms’ length so we can focus on whipping the Japs. Since there is little we can do in the Pacific for the next year or so, I want to focus on getting Europe settled. The British will control the Atlantic, and the Germans will control Western Europe. I hope Stalin will not get frisky. If everyone over there can avoid another war for thirty to fifty years, I think the Germans will ultimately realize that holding onto the conquered territories is not worth the candle. If Schloss is successful in what he is trying to build, we may get another hundred years without a major war.”
“In Europe.”
“In Europe,” Wallace repeated.
“And Japan?”
“I have been talking to Secretary Hull and General Marshall about that. They will start building a committee of our best thinkers in the military and government. The goal is to develop a strategy for beating the Japanese, and then what to do after that. I would like you to be my representative on that committee. I want a documented war plan and peace plan, and I need it in about six months.”
“Will that work if the Congress can’t get its head out of its hindquarters concerning my status?” Truman asked.
Wallace held up an index finger. “Understand this, Senator Truman, regardless of what title you might wear, and what the Congress may think, you are my vice president in the fullest sense of the word. Wherever you go, you will represent me, and speak with my authority. I cannot do this by myself, and you are the man I have decided to trust. Do not let me down.”
Truman stared at Henry Wallace. At that moment, he did not see an accidental president. He saw a man molded by the fires of war. He saw American Steel, forged in Pittsburgh and Birmingham. He saw American grit, harvested on the fields of Gettysburg, and in the forests of Shiloh. He saw determination as it crystallized in the eyes of Washington and Lincoln.
Truman was not a particularly religious man, but at that moment, he saw in Henry Wallace the American Manifest Destiny handed down on tablets from the holy mountain of liberty. At this moment he was prepared to follow the president into hell itself, if necessary, to preserve the nation.
“Yes, Mr. President. I will stand with you, and give you my complete loyalty. If at some point I cannot do that, I will quietly fade. I will do nothing to interfere with your responsibilities.”
“That is all that I can ask, Senator.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
July 17, 1942; 3 PM
Reich Chancellery
Berlin, Germany
“Fifty-million Reichsmarks for one-hundred bombers, Herr Reich Chancellor?”
Heinrich Schloss looked down the table at the glowering Reichsmarshall.
“That’s correct, Herr Goering. Do you have a problem?” Schloss spoke softly and evenly.
“I have read your proposal, and see what you want to do. This will not only gain us a creditable bomber force quickly but access to American know-how. That is sensible. I just wonder if this is the best use of our money right now.”
“Hermann raises a good question,” Schloss said. “Who else wants to comment?”
“Our gold reserves are low,” Karl Rainer said. “And I worry about transporting that much gold.”
; “That’s a good point,” Peter Schreiber said. “There is also the matter of the payment to the King of Iraq.”
Ribbentrop blushed. “I did what I thought was necessary.”
Schloss raised a finger, and the foreign minister stopped suddenly.
“You brought home an agreement, did you not?”
“Well, yes.”
“That is more than I managed,” Schloss said with a crooked grin.
“A million Reichsmarks for the agreement seems a little excessive,” Admiral Canaris sniffed.
“As long as half of it didn’t land back in the foreign minister’s accounts,” Rainer said.
Ribbentrop went white. “Herr Reich Chancellor, I can assure you...”
Schloss raised a finger, and Ribbentrop stopped speaking again.
“Enough, Karl,” Schloss said quietly. “If Joachim was intent on defrauding the Fatherland, we would find out about it sooner or later, correct?”
“Yes, Herr Reich Chancellor.”
“Very well. Herr Ribbentrop was the man on the spot, and he brought us a working agreement. I would like it implemented as soon as possible. Is this something you can do, Herr Reichsmarshall?”
Goering nodded quickly, his jowls shaking. “Yes, Herr Reich Chancellor. I would appoint Herr Speer as the project manager.”
“I read through the agreement,” Schloss continued. “Based upon my limited understanding of this kind of law, it looks solid. I would also like to get another set of eyes on this for review. Who do we have that is not in the foreign ministry?”
“I can have Speer look at it,” Goering said.
“Is that okay with you, Joachim?” Schloss asked.
“Fine,” Ribbentrop stated.
“Fine?” Schloss asked with raised eyebrows.
“I think I brought a good agreement to the table. I resent having someone vet me.”
What is the matter with everyone today? Schloss thought. They are fighting like children.
“Kirche!” Schloss shouted.
“Yes, Herr Reich Chancellor?”
“I want to speak individually with everyone in this room, this afternoon, following this meeting. Set the schedule.”
“Yes, Herr Reich Chancellor.”
With that, Schloss slammed his portfolio shut and strode from the room. The other men looked at one another nervously. Nobody said anything.
“Herr Reichsmarshall,” Kirche said, “you may go into the Reich Chancellor’s office, now.”
Goering turned pale but said nothing as he pulled himself to his feet. The nails on the heels of his boots clicked on the polished granite floor as he left the room. The click of the door closing echoed in the room. A few moments later Canaris stood up.
“I do not believe I can contribute further to the conversation this afternoon, Gentlemen.
“I believe the Reich Chancellor included you in the list of people he wanted to speak with,” Rainer said.
“Then he can call my office and set up an appointment.”
“Sit down, Herr Admiral,” Rainer said.
“I am not in your chain of command,” Canaris said as he started to turn.
“Herr Admiral!” Rainer snapped.
Canaris turned around to face the pistol that was now in Rainer’s hand. “I said, sit down, Admiral.”
The admiral slowly returned to his chair. Rainer walked over to the double doors that acted as the main entrance to the council chamber. He pulled the right door open.
“Yes, Herr Reichsprotektor?”
“I need two guards in here, now,” Rainer said.
“At once, Herr Reichsprotektor.”
Two of the SS guards followed Rainer back to the table.
“Please ensure that Admiral Canaris remains in this chair until either I or the Reich Chancellor ask him to move.”
“Of course, Herr Reichsprotektor.”
Canaris looked around the table, and his normal smirk was in abeyance. Rainer looked grim, Schreiber frowned, and Ribbentrop looked terrified. Kirche had no expression on his face. He gathered up his notes and walked to the door adjacent to Schloss’s office.
Goering followed Schloss into the office. Schloss walked around to his chair and tossed his notes and pencil on the desk.
“Sit down, Hermann.”
“Herr Reich Chancellor, I assure you I meant no disrespect,” Goering stuttered.
“I have no problem with your actions in the meeting, today,” Schloss replied. “You are not afraid to challenge my ideas and raise questions. That is important to me.”
“But Ribbentrop was upset with me.”
“Does that worry you?”
“No, of course not,” Goering said. “However, you are making me nervous.”
“Sometimes that cannot be helped. Tell me, Hermann, what is the thing that Ribbentrop is really good at?”
“At making himself look good,” Goering stated flatly.
“When has he tried that recently?” Schloss asked.
Goering’s mouth quivered. “He is very proud of that agreement he brought back from Iraq.”
“I understand that. However, I am also very pleased with it.”
“Then, I do not understand what you want of me.”
“The point I was trying to make, Hermann, is that while Ribbentrop is not much of a diplomat, he does have a talent for commercial activities. I am thinking about shuffling the portfolios of the members of the government. I would like to appoint him as the Minister of Commerce, and fold the Ministry of Economics as well as the War Industries areas under him.”
“But, Herr Schloss,” Goering immediately protested, “that would strip me of half of my responsibilities.”
“You told me yourself that the only reason you have been successful in that area is because of Speer’s work.”
“That is true, however, I feel like this is not a positive step for me.”
Schloss cocked his head as he studied Goering. “What progress have you made in reorganizing the High Command?”
Goering blushed. “No progress at all, I am embarrassed to say.”
“No one can gainsay your efforts on behalf of the Fatherland, Herr Reichsmarshall. What I require is perhaps a bit more focus. I know you and I have had our differences, but we do rely upon you.”
“You want me to be honest,” Goering commented, “so I will try to be honest. I do not like this change, and I think you might be making a mistake. However, you will make the final decision, and I will, of course, be subject to your orders. As usual.”
Kirche slipped into the room and handed Schloss a folded over sheet of paper. Schloss looked at Goering as he tapped the paper on his desk.
“That is all that I can ask, Hermann, and I appreciate your forbearance.”
Schloss unfolded the paper and looked at it. He looked up at Goering.
“I am going to have to ask you to remain for a while, Hermann. The Reichsprotektor has had to place Canaris under guard.”
“Mein Gott!” Goering exclaimed.
“It seems we once again face a crisis,” Schloss said. “Please say nothing about our conversation about Ribbentrop, for the moment.”
“Of course, Herr Reich Chancellor.”
“Follow me, then.”
They walked back into the council chamber with Kirche following. A very sober-looking Canaris sat in his chair, with two guards standing behind him. Peter looked concerned. Ribbentrop was obviously terrified. Rainer looked disgusted.
“What seems to be the problem, meine Herren?” Schloss asked, using a normal tone.
“It seems I have been prevented from leaving,” Canaris replied.
“You wanted to leave, even though I asked everyone to stay?”
“I did not interpret it as an order,” Canaris explained. “And, I have many tasks awaiting me back at my office.”
“And you assumed that these tasks were more important than what I needed to speak with you about?”
“Does it really matter?” Canaris aske
d. “You have obviously decided to force the matter, and my life is probably forfeit in the process.”
“If that were the case you would already be dead.”
“That may be so, but there is a much bigger issue we need to face. We have discovered you are an impostor.”
Schloss’s heart seemed to seize up on him. He hoped the others would interpret his surprise at the very unlikely nature of Canaris’ accusation.
And how has this Schweinehund figured that out, or is he even talking about my real past?
“What are you talking about?” Goering shouted. “Are you insane? You are not making sense.”
“This man is a fake,” Canaris stated. He replaced the real Schloss and then killed Bormann. Now he sits in the Chancellor’s chair and has all of us dancing to his tune.”
Schloss looked around the room, letting his bewilderment show. The others showed the same confusion. Rainer started to pull his gun out, and Schloss held up a hand to stop him.
“Herr Admiral,” Schloss began, “you have certainly surprised everyone this afternoon. Perhaps you could explain what you are talking about.”
“You are a doppelganger, a double. As to where you came from, no one knows. But, our investigation indicates you are not the real Schloss.” He turned to the others and held up his hands. “meine Herren, the Reich is in grave danger.”
Goering looked back and forth between Canaris and Schloss in disbelief. Then he burst into laughter. “If Herr Schloss is a doppelganger, then we should thank our lucky stars. It appears the Almighty sent him to save Germany.”
The portly Reichsmarshall shook his head. “Mein Gott! A doppelganger.” He continued chuckling.
Ribbentrop looked down at the table and covered his mouth with his hand. It seemed he thought it was funny, too. Schloss looked over at Schreiber and raised an eyebrow. Peter continued his look of bewilderment.
“Gentlemen,” Schloss said. “This has me at a complete loss.”
“I think we need to commit the Herr Admiral to a mental hospital for observation,” Rainer said. “And we need to investigate how this nonsense got started.”
“Let’s do this,” Schloss suggested. “Karl, please place Admiral Canaris under house arrest. Do not let him meet with, or speak with anyone. I want you to lead an investigation in the Abwehr. Please share your findings with the Reichsmarshall, along with the Foreign Minister and the Propaganda Minister. As a group, you can then report to me.”