EXCELLENCY TO THE CONTRARY, THE
UNDERSIGNED IS RELUCTANT TO ENTRUST
OTHER DETAILS OF THIS TRAGIC INCI DENT TO A RADIO TRANSMISSION. THE
UNDERSIGNED SUGGESTS THAT A FULL
REPORT OF THIS INCIDENT COULD BEST
BE MADE TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND OTHER
OFFICIALS BY SOMEONE PERSONALLY
FAMILIAR WITH THE INCIDENT.
IN ADDITION TO THE UNDERSIGNED,
LISTED IN ORDER OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE
OF THE INCIDENT, THESE ARE:
MAJOR FREIHERR HANS-PETER VON WACHT STEIN
FIRST SECRETARY ANTON VON GRADNY-SAWZ
STURMBANNFUHRER WERNER VON TRESMARCK
OF THE EMBASSY OF THE GERMAN REICH
IN MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY.
THE UNDERSIGNED BEGS TO REMIND YOUR
EXCELLENCY THAT A LUFTHANSA CONDOR
FLIGHT IS EXPECTED TO REACH BUENOS
AIRES IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, AND
RESPECTFULLY SUGGESTS THAT ANY, OR
ALL, OF THE ABOVE-NAMED OFFICERS
TRAVEL TO GERMANY ON THE RETURN
FLIGHT SO THAT YOUR EXCELLENCY MAY
BE MADE PRIVY TO THE DETAILS OF THIS
UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT, AND OF OTHER
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS HERE OF IMPOR TANCE TO GERMANY.
THE UNDERSIGNED RESPECTFULLY AWAITS
YOUR EXCELLENCY'S ORDERS.
HEIL HITLER!
MANFRED ALOIS GRAF VON LUTZENBERGER
AMBASSADOR OF THE GERMAN REICH TO
THE REPUBLIC OF ARGENTINA
So van Ribbentrop has told him of Phoenix? Is he smarter than he looks? Obviously, you don't get to be a deputy for eign minister unless you are bright.
I wonder how many others I don't know about are privy to
Operation Phoenix?
"You may inform the Foreign Minister that I appreciate his entrusting the document only to someone like yourself, and that I will hold myself ready to meet with him at his earliest convenience."
"I will relay your message, Herr Reichsfilhrer-SS."
Von Lowzer rose to his feet but made no move to leave the office.
"Something else, von Lowzer?"
"The message, Herr Reichsfiihrer-SS. You still have it."
"I thought it was for me," Himmler blurted.
"The Foreign Minister thought that making copies of the document was unwise," von Lowzer said.
"Yes," Himmler said, signifying nothing.
"I am under the Foreign Minister's orders to show it as soon as possible to the others who have an interest," von
Lowzer said.
"Bormann, for example?"
Von Lowzer nodded.
"Bormann hasn't seen this yet?" Himmler asked.
"You are the first to see it, Herr Reichsfuhrer-SS," von
Lowzer said. "Except, of course, for the Foreign Minister."
And yourself, of course. I'm going to have to find out about you.
But that's interesting. Von Ribbentrop sent the message to me first.
"And your next stop is where?" Himmler asked casually.
"Reichsleiter Bormann, Herr Reichsfiihrer-SS, and then
Admiral Canaris. Then I will go to Wolfsschanze, to see
Generalfeldmarschall Keitel and Admiral Donitz."
Generalfeldmarschall Keitel, chief of the German army, and Admiral Donitz were with Hitler at his secret headquar ters. As were Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring and Propa ganda Minister Josef Goebbels.
Obviously, von Lowzer knows a good deal. The location of the Fiihrer, and of those officials with him, is known to only a few wholly trustworthy people.
But does that mean von Lowzer knows everything about
Operation Phoenix?
"Then I had best not keep you," Himmler said.
He picked up the message from Buenos Aires and read it through again carefully before handing it to von Lowzer.
"You will be good enough to tell the Herr Foreign Minister that I understand the gravity of the problem and am at his disposal to discuss it?"