Page 34 of The Righteous

JULIA PREPARED TO send a cablegram to John Pehle. She did her best to convey the circumstances in Budapest, no hyperbole, just facts. And those were bad enough. She couldn’t imagine them to be any worse.

Along with Carl Lutz, Theresa, and the influential men of the Budapest Jewish community, Julia now faced a Hungarian government on the brink of collapse.

With its regent lured out of the country and absent for four days, it was ripe for a takeover.

She warmed up the cable machinery and prepared to relay what she knew about the current situation: the Kállay peace feelers, and Horthy’s immediate, unscheduled, and unexpected trip to meet with Hitler at his castle in Schloss Klessheim in Austria.

John:

It is midday here in Budapest, and I have very troubling news to report.

Regent Horthy has been gone for four days, and no one has heard from him.

During his absence, hundreds, if not thousands, of Nazi soldiers have moved into Hungary.

Nothing is being done about it because Hungary’s commander in chief is AWOL.

There are Nazi soldiers and SS personnel everywhere you look, but so far, there has been no military activity.

The general opinion is that Hitler has lost confidence in Horthy, his former trusted ally, and it may only be a matter of time until he replaces him and assigns a new leader.

It is likely that Hungary will become another Nazi puppet state like Czechoslovakia, Austria, or Holland.

Even more disturbing, Adolf Eichmann arrived here yesterday along with a large Nazi contingent.

He has taken up residence at the German compound near Castle Hill.

People in the know feel that Eichmann’s appearance may be in preparation for racial cleansing.

I personally witnessed the wickedness of his work when he engineered the evacuation of innocent Jewish families from Holland.

Now he has been sent here to Budapest, and it is only logical that he will be called upon to engineer a similar fate for the million Hungarian Jews.

Carl Lutz suggested that I contact you for any help the WRB can provide.

He knows that if there is a mass exodus, it will need organization, funding, and personnel.

Any information about Eichmann, or explanation of the reasons that he is now in Budapest, would be appreciated.

Yours truly,

Julia Powers

It didn’t take long for Julia to receive a return cablegram: “Call me at 10 AM EST,” followed by a series of numbers. At the requested time, Julia’s call went first to an operator at the Swiss communications center, then to London, and then by the underseas cable to Washington.

“Eichmann in Budapest is indeed a very bad omen,” Pehle said, “and I’m glad that you contacted me right away.

Wherever he goes, death follows. He is Hitler’s master engineer of roundup and deportations.

Your information on his arrival in Budapest will give the WRB a head start.

This is bound to be a refugee crisis. As far as Eichmann is concerned, I can’t tell you much more than you already know.

I do know that he was with Heydrich and the others at the Wannsee Conference when they pledged their allegiance to the Final Solution.

His recent actions have confirmed his commitment to effectuating a Judenfrei Europe and the so-called Final Solution.

Why Eichmann has been assigned to Budapest now, after five years of war, is a mystery to me, though it would seem to be related to Horthy’s disappearance.

We will begin formulating plans for rescue and evacuation of refugees in order to be prepared if Eichmann moves ahead.

Believe me, we will work to help save as many as we can.

I have to believe that Carl told you to contact me for that purpose.

Tell him we’ll try hard not to let him down. ”

“Thank you for your response,” Julia said, “and I will pass the word. Please be aware that things are happening fast. German troops are moving in, Horthy is no longer in control, and we hear that Kállay is out. They will appoint another prime minister.”

Julia met with Carl and told him of her exchange with John.

“When and if it is necessary, the WRB has the resources to fund relief organizations and rescue activities,” she said.

“Tell me, Carl, what is your opinion on why they sent Eichmann and his legion of killers to Budapest at this time? If not to plan the eradication of the Jewish community, then what? That is what Eichmann does. He’s an expert, a cold-blooded expert.

John said he was with Heydrich at the Wannsee Conference when they devised their Final Solution to the so-called Jewish problem.

Now he is in Budapest to carry out what he is trained to do.

John also told me that the WRB has no further information than we already know. ”

Carl answered with a long, serious look.

“The people must be informed as soon as possible, but in a way that doesn’t create mass panic.

It must come down through leadership. They must devise an organized plan for the people to avoid capture and escape to someplace safe.

That won’t be easy, because we have seen that the leaders are not convinced.

Sooner or later, they will be, but we can’t wait that long. By then, it would be too late.”

Julia stood. “Please listen to me, I beg you,” she said gravely.

“The Nazis have yet to begin their operation, but they will. First, they’ll assemble them in ghettos, then round them up and load them onto trains bound for death camps.

Once the process starts, it’s over. There’s no getting away.

If we wait until they start, it will be too late for too many.

You want to know what we should do to prepare?

Our job is to save as many as we can. Bear in mind we cannot win.

It is only a question of how many we can save.

We need to lead as many as we can to escape routes. Do you agree with me?”

“I do,” said Carl. “We can’t do it on our own; it has to be a combined effort from within.

Theresa, we need to enlist your father, the rabbi, and the other Jewish community leaders to talk to their fellow congregants.

They must be alerted, and they must be convinced.

They have an obligation to talk sense to their people.

In the meantime, there are steps that John Pehle and I can take to set the groundwork.

We can reach out to neutral countries like Switzerland, Sweden, and Turkey and any other humanitarian sources to sponsor a way out.

You and Theresa have the relationships with the community’s leaders, so let’s use them. ”

“That won’t be easy,” answered Julia. “You heard Solomon and the rabbi each talk about their ancestors living and dying here since the Roman times.” Julia shook her head.

“Then you must open their eyes,” Carl said. “This time, they won’t be buried with their ancestors in the Hungarian hills; their bodies will be taken to camps in Poland, and their ashes will be buried in pits.”

“I am aware of that, Carl,” Julia said. “So, tell me, how do I get through to the people? How do I open their eyes? How do I convince them to save themselves? Why would they listen to me, a girl from Detroit? Even Theresa. She’s from here, but she’s been living in America and she’s younger than they are.

How do we talk sense to the community’s leaders when we don’t have credibility? ”

“I have also thought about that, and I have come up with an idea,” Carl said.

“I know a man who will have credibility. He is a former German legislator. He now does business in Budapest. I’ve known him for years.

He is a humanitarian, and I’m sure he cares deeply about the senseless murder of innocent civilians.

He is a decent man. When he speaks, people listen. ”

“If Theresa and I can arrange it, would he talk to the community leaders in a private meeting?”

“I’ll talk to him. If he is in town, I’m sure he would help.”

Two days later, Julia received a call from Carl.

He had spoken with his contact, the German informant, and the man was agreeable to a meeting with community leaders, providing that the identities and the talk itself remained strictly confidential.

He was still employed in Berlin and serving as a legislator.

If his cooperation was discovered, he would be killed.

“I will tell you this,” Carl said, “the thought of persecuting nine hundred thousand innocent Hungarian Jews is so abhorrent, he is willing to share what he knows about Eichmann and the German program in the hopes that it might make a difference.”

“Okay. How do we go about accomplishing this?” asked Julia.

“He will meet us in the dark of night in a warehouse on Gyorgy Street. He will dress in black to hide his identity, and you are advised to hide your identity as well. No names will be exchanged for your benefit as well as his. Because he does business here in Budapest, he speaks rudimentary Hungarian, if that will work. You may ask him whatever you wish about the Nazis’ current plans, and he will share his knowledge, if indeed he knows.

Please, no personal questions. Is that agreeable? ”

“It is,” answered Julia, “and we are so appreciative of his help. He doesn’t need to worry about his rudimentary Hungarian; both Theresa and I speak German. When is he available to meet?”

“Soon. In order for the meeting to have the greatest impact on the welfare of the community, you and Theresa should include influential community leaders. Request some of them to come with you, but they must understand this is not an adversarial situation. It is not a debate. They may not argue with him. We have all been in meetings where stubborn men express opposite opinions and are prepared to argue the night away. This man is doing the Jewish community a great favor to come and give them the facts. He is available tomorrow night or the night after. After that, he is returning to Germany, probably to stay. There are several reasons for him to leave Budapest as soon as possible. You may draw your own conclusions as to why. Talk among yourselves and decide what time is best for you and your group. Let me know, and I will attend the meeting with you. He will not speak to you without my being present.”