“Not necessarily. There are both pro-German and pro-Allied factions within the G.O.U. The power within the G.O.U., however, the money and the brains, belongs to el Coronel Jorge Guillermo Frade. On the one hand, Frade is the uncle of the heroic Hauptmann Duarte, who died fighting godless communism with von Paulus at Stalingrad. And on the other, he is the father of Lieutenant Frade of the United States Marine Corps.”
“I see.”
“Which very possibly explains the presence of ‘ex’-Lieutenant Frade, in civilian clothing, in Argentina. He has been sent here to tell his father that the Americans will help him in any way they can. And, very probably, to establish a line of communication with him.”
“Yes,” Peter said thoughtfully.
“Now, with Oberst Frade, there is another factor involved,” Grüner said. “You met, I believe, Oberst Juan Domingo Perón in Germany?”
“Yes, Sir. He came as far as the Franco-Spanish border with me.”
“And your relationship with Oberst Perón?”
“Actually, Sir, we got along rather well. He told me I would enjoy my time in Argentina and was quite gracious to me.”
“That cordiality almost certainly will be valuable later on,” Grüner said. “The point is that, despite their different backgrounds—Frade is one of the most wealthy men in Argentina, and Perón’s background is simple—Perón and Frade are quite close. They became friends in the army when they were both lieutenants.”
“I see what you mean, Sir, by Byzantine.”
“Perón is very sympathetic to Germany, in particular with Germany’s socialist political philosophy, and with Germany’s demonstrated concern for the welfare of the working man.* It is to study our system that he is in Germany. And the reason he wishes to become expert, so to speak, in German socialist social policy is that, when the G.O.U. stages its coup d’état and takes over the government, Oberst Perón will become what we would call the Minister for Public Welfare.”
“A military man as Minister of Social Welfare?” Peter asked, surprised.
“The military runs Argentina, Peter. You must keep that in mind. Which means that our mission is to ensure that our colonels, and not the British colonels, are in charge.”
“I understand,” Peter said.
“The third possibility is that ‘ex’-Lieutenant Frade is a member of the OSS, the Office of Strategic Services, and that he is here to damage
or sink a U-boat replenishment vessel we have in the River Plate.”
“Really? How?”
“Good question. He probably knows no more about sinking a ship than you do.
“Now all this leads to a distasteful aspect of our duty here, one that frankly troubles me personally, but which I have come reluctantly to decide is essential. There is no civilized way to wage war, and we are fooling ourselves when we think there is.”
“Yes, Sir. I agree.”
“It is not in Germany’s interests to permit a cozy relationship between Lieutenant Frade—that is to say, the American government—and Oberst Frade, who will almost certainly be a major influence on Argentine policy.”
“Obviously.”
“Considering the stakes—Germany needs and buys enormous quantities of Argentine wool, Argentine leather, Argentine foodstuffs—we cannot afford to have someone in a position of influence who will lead Argentina into the war on the side of the Allies…or stand by while our supply line is cut. Since removing Oberst Frade is obviously out of the question, that leaves ‘ex’-Lieutenant Frade. The question then becomes how.”
What does he mean by remove? Certainly not “assassinate”?
“Excuse me, Herr Oberst. ‘Remove’?”
“There is no civilized way to wage war, and we are fooling ourselves when we think there is,” Grüner quoted himself, met Peter’s eyes for a moment, and then went on. “To that end, in my conversations with Major Habanzo of BIS, I have been advancing the theory that Lieutenant Frade is an OSS agent sent here to violate international law vis-à-vis the actions permitted of belligerent powers resident in a neutral country. I have suggested specifically that young Frade is here in order to cause harm to neutral vessels suspected of supplying German submarines. The BIS knows there was a team of OSS agents here with that mission.”
“Was, Herr Oberst?”
“They disappeared. No one seems to know what happened to them. They were not successful.”
“And you think that the BIS will arrange for Lieutenant Frade to similarly disappear?”
“That would be the ideal solution,” Grüner said. “But in my business—in our business, Peter—one seldom finds an ideal solution. No, I don’t think that the BIS will cause Lieutenant Frade to disappear. What I am hoping is that Oberst Frade will soon learn from his friends within the BIS that the BIS believes his son is an OSS agent sent here to cause damage to our replenishment vessel.”