Page 13 of The Righteous
BEFORE LEAVING WASHINGTON to return to Michigan, Theresa had a second meeting with John Pehle.
Teddy was able to arrange it, even though John was enormously busy with his new appointment as head of the WRB.
He said that Theresa could have five minutes.
She reminded John that no one in Foreign Funds Control was intimately familiar with Hungary, especially regarding the Jewish population, but she and her family were well connected.
Even though it was not possible for her to go to Budapest and help her family, she could serve their interest by assisting the WRB. She practically begged.
Three weeks later, Julia and Theresa were contacted at their respective homes in Michigan.
An organizational meeting of the War Refugee Board was scheduled to take place at the Treasury Building, and Director John Pehle invited each of them to attend.
Julia immediately called Theresa. “Did you get a letter? Did you know that John was going to ask us to the organizational meeting?”
“I had a hunch,” Theresa answered. “After the president issued his executive order and before we left Washington, I had that meeting with John. I specifically asked him if I could be involved in matters concerning Hungary. I asked if the board could use me in some way. I’m dying to help, and please understand, my family is at risk.
My father is a respected man, but he’s not in the best of health.
To continue as a leader in his community, he might need someone’s help.
Like mine. And if there is a crisis, he’s not in a condition to defend himself or my mom.
You know I want to go there and help them if it’s at all possible.
If the conditions deteriorate, I need to get them out of Hungary. ”
“I know they already rejected your offer to go to Hungary,” Julia said, “but you could still be a very valuable asset to the WRB.”
“John said he was sure that the WRB could use me in some way, but he repeated that he didn’t think it was possible for me to go there in person at this time.
There are no easy ways of crossing the border and no way to conceal my identity once I’m in the country.
I would be identified as a Jew—my birth records would show it.
If I were to make it into Budapest, I would be at risk along with the rest of my people.
But I would have gone if he would have let me. ”
“You are a brave girl.”
“John told me that the board was aware of Hungary’s political situation,” Theresa said.
“He knew that Regent Horthy had appointed a new prime minister, Miklós Kállay, and he was less enthusiastic about Germany. Kállay thought it was insane to wage a murderous campaign against the Jews who posed no threat, but he could not be considered a supporter of the Jewish community. I told John that I heard that Kállay had secretly sent messages to the State Department expressing a willingness to negotiate a peace agreement. John responded that State did receive those messages, but they disregarded them, buried them away, and nothing came of it. Then I asked him if State had received any messages directly from the Jewish community? Were there any messages from the head rabbi, from bankers, from Jewish businessmen, from my father? He shook his head. ‘It’s difficult to get messages in or out of Budapest,’ he said, ‘and often, if we do, we don’t know who to contact.
We have to rely on information from those who have traveled through Hungary more recently.
’ From what he had heard, things were quiet for the Budapest Jewish community at the present time. ”
“Wait a minute,” Julia said. “How did someone travel through Hungary more recently ?”
“I asked John the same question,” Theresa said, “and he answered that there were people who had diplomatic immunity. I said I didn’t understand, and he answered, ‘Diplomats from countries that are neutral, or friendly to Germany or other Axis countries, can travel throughout Europe freely.
For example, if you can show credentials that prove you are a citizen of a neutral country, like Switzerland or Sweden, you can travel and conduct your business throughout Europe and enjoy protection from local prosecution.
“I seized upon that issue. I asked John if a person would have to be a politician or an elected or appointed diplomat from a neutral country, and he said no. He said, ‘Switzerland can grant immunity if a person is conducting business that benefits Switzerland or its citizens. It could be anyone. Switzerland might issue an official stamped letter showing that the carrier is under the protection of the Swiss government, and that would convey diplomatic immunity to the traveler.’”
“And the Nazis would honor that?” Julia asked.
“John said they’re supposed to, and up to now, they have.
Germany has reciprocal immunity for its citizens, and they do business all over Europe.
I wanted to pursue this further and find out if I could get a diplomatic pass and go to Hungary and check on my family, but John looked at his watch and said he had to leave.
Maybe he was just tired of my questions.
Before he left, I offered to do whatever I could to help the WRB.
He said that there was a good chance that information on Hungary might still be filed away with the State Department.
The hope is that it will be located and transferred to the WRB in the new spirit of cooperation.
He asked me if I’d be willing to go through some of the State Department reports, when and as they are delivered to the WRB. Of course, I said yes.”
“Can you do that from your apartment in Ann Arbor?” Julia asked.
“No. He wants me to return to Washington. I took a leave from the U of M history department, which was very understanding. What about you, Julia?”
“I’m sitting on the fence. I spoke with John as well and beyond attending the organizational meeting, I offered to help in any way I could. He said he would contact me. I’m still waiting for the phone to ring.”
“What are you doing in Detroit?”
“Nothing,” Julia said. “Wasting away in the Motor City.”
“Good. Pack your stuff. Come with me, and we can stay together in DC. Until they find something for you, you can examine documents with me.”
Julia was folding her clothes and packing them into her suitcase when her mother entered the room. “I wish you weren’t going,” she said to Julia. “You just got home.”
“I know, but I might be able to help out for a little while in Washington. Wouldn’t you want me to do that?”
Her mother looked at her sheepishly. “Truthfully speaking, no, I wouldn’t. I missed you so badly, and I keep thinking that I almost lost you. The world is so dangerous. You did your part; now stay here and find something interesting to do.”
“I’m only going to Washington, Mom; I’m not going to the Netherlands,” Julia replied.
“Theresa and I are staying in a room near Dupont Circle. The government is paying for it. We’re going to review documents for the War Refugee Board.
We even get a salary. They expect to receive information from the State Department, and they need people to sort through it. I’m not going anywhere near Europe.”
Her mother gave her a challenging look. “Promise?”
The taxi honked, and Julia leaned over to give her mother a kiss. “That’s the plan. There are meetings set up starting tomorrow.” She took her suitcase and headed out the door.
Her mother watched her go with a doleful expression. “You didn’t say promise .”
Theresa and Julia entered the Treasury Building and were directed to the conference room where twenty or so other people were gathering.
At nine AM , John Pehle walked in with Josiah DuBois.
“Thank you all for coming so nice and early,” John said.
“We are still assembling information, much of which has been in boxes in a State Department storage room, and we have been going through them and organizing them by country. Those who have a background in France or who are fluent in French will be given documents concerning France. A slightly larger group will be given papers concerning Romania. Other groups will focus on Russia, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, or Poland, and we will place everyone in rooms where you can spread out the papers and examine them.” John gestured to the conference table, where separate piles of documents were arranged by country with a label on top.
“You will each find your names next to a stack of documents. Some are letters, some are cables, some will be important, and some will not. Go through them the best you can, make your notes, and pull out the ones that are of obvious importance. No matter how deeply engrossed you are in your analysis, I’d like you all back here in the conference room at five PM. ”
John continued with his instructions. “When you return this afternoon, you will all hear our exciting plans for the operation of the WRB. Our purpose is stated in our title; we are going to do everything we can to aid in the rescue of European refugees. To that end, we have been reaching out to talented and influential persons who have means of assisting us in our rescue efforts. You will meet the first of those individuals this afternoon.”
There was a buzz in response to John’s announcement.
“I wonder who it will be?” was the chatter.
Everyone wanted to know how this person would help in WRB’s refugee efforts.
Can he physically evacuate a community of refugees?
We don’t have an army anywhere near Europe.
We have no soldiers on the continent. All Europe is Hitler’s playground.
How do we effectuate a rescue? But John waved them all off.
“Later,” he said. “Right now, let’s split into our groups and start sorting the messages. ”