Roosevelt shuffled in his seat, sat up a bit, and cleared his throat.
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” FDR said earnestly. “I will keep an eye on the Ultra messages”—he gestured at the wire baskets of decrypted enemy message traffic; Ultra was the code name for the Allies’ supersecret breaking of the German cipher machine, Enigma—“for any mention of this. And I will make it known to George Marshall, without mentioning my source, to quietly keep an eye out.”
FDR would not reveal where he got the information because both men knew that Marshall would not be happy with this meeting between them. The way it was supposed to work was that Donovan reported to Marshall and Marshall reported to the President. That was chain of command and how such intel was supposed to reach Roosevelt.
But Donovan knew—and he figured that FDR suspected—that General Marshall, USA, likely would kick it down to General Eisenhower, USA, and get his brethren’s take on it before carrying it to FDR.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower was commander in chief, Allied Forces Headquarters. AFHQ (pronounced “aff-kew”) was in Algiers. Ike’s command included British General Bernard Montgomery and his British Eighth Army.
“With all due respect, you do realize that all answers cannot be found in Ultra,” the director of the Office of Strategic Services said carefully. “Clearly, it’s invaluable. But Ike’s people—both the Americans and the Brits—are putting their blind faith in it. If Ultra says something and they can corroborate it by other means, then they act on it. But if it’s not in Ultra, then it doesn’t exist—which is why, apparently, they’re underwhelmed by Canidy’s discoveries.”
Roosevelt nodded.
“I do realize that,” he said. “So then it’s up to you.”
“You want us to get the evidence?” Donovan said. It was a statement more than a question.
“I damn sure need it before I can”—Roosevelt struggled for the right words—“go forward.”
His face then grew hard.
“You know, I expected this out of those damn ruthless Japs—which was why I reluctantly allowed our nerve gas production to move with such speed and size—but not from that crazed goddamn Austrian corporal. I thought he’d had more than his share of gas when he fought in the First War and that he’d sworn it off.”
Roosevelt looked deeply into Donovan’s eyes.
“Get me that evidence, Bill.”
“Yes, Mr. President. But despite the horror I expect we’ll find, it won’t be easy.”
“Why?”
“Ike has made it clear that he’s controlling all the strings in the MTO. It’s hard to blow your nose anywhere near AFHQ without his explicit permission.”
Sensitive to the accusations that the American troops were unbloodied and undertrained and thus not meshing well with their more-battle-hardened British counterparts, Eisenhower was taking great pains—some said being a great pain—about the British and Americans coming together seamlessly to work under one leader.
And that leader was Ike. And Ike was being all-controlling.
“What exactly was the reaction at AFHQ to Canidy’s findings? You said underwhelmed?”
“More like denial. ‘We’ll take it under advisement,’ they said, not believing our fledgling OSS could possibly know something they don’t. And they’re hiding behind Husky—they’re (a) not going to spend resources checking out what they declare not to be and (b) not going to risk having such an investigation possibly tip off the Germans and Italians that we’re about to invade the islands.”
Roosevelt looked at Donovan and nodded.
“I see,” the President said. “Well, we have to find out the real facts about what is on the island, and quickly. If they have those evil weapons, they must have the plans to them. And, if so, we have to decide if we’re going to respond in kind or not—and, if not, then…”
He let that thought go unspoken.
The OSS director, after a moment, said , “What we can do, Mr. President—”
“You and your loose cannon Canidy do what you have to, Bill,” FDR interrupted. He paused, waiting for the provoked response that didn’t come. Then he went on: “I don’t want to know details, because, if I do, I’m afraid that I won’t be able to deny to Marshall, or whomever, that I do.”
The President puffed thoughtfully on his cigarette holder, bluish gray clouds filing the air immediately over his head. He appeared pleased with himself.
/> “And that, General Donovan, my old friend, is why I put you in business.”
[ONE]
Port of Algiers Algiers, Algeria 1125 30 March 1943