Page 49 of The Righteous
“Well,” he said, “I’m assuming the meeting occurred. You’re here, and it’s late. Fill me in.”
“The negotiations with Eichmann started a few months ago. Dieter Wisliceny, Eichmann’s second-in-command, approached the Aid and Rescue Committee.
Wisliceny said that Eichmann was willing to talk.
He told them that for the payment of money, Eichmann was prepared to moderate or suspend the anti-Jewish measures.
Kasztner took Joel to meet with Wisliceny and told him they were in a position to continue with Gisi Fleischmann’s offer, the one she called the Europa Plan. ”
Carl shook his head. “Now the Aid and Rescue Committee wants to restart that plan. How are they going to change minds in Washington and London?”
“We’ve heard this story before,” Carl said. “That is what Gisi Fleischmann offered, but she couldn’t get the deal funded, and so it died.”
“I know, but Joel said that this time they had the money, and they were more confident. I don’t know where he was getting the money, but he said he could do it.
Two weeks after their meeting with Wisliceny, Joel received a message that Eichmann wanted to meet with him.
Joel was told to wait in the Opera Café.
He went there, and he was driven by the SS to Eichmann’s headquarters. ”
“At the Majestic Hotel on Castle Hill?”
“Right. When he arrived at the hotel, he met Eichmann and Kurt Becher, an emissary of Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler.”
“Himmler?” said Carl with raised eyebrows. “This went right to the top.”
“You should have heard Joel describe Eichmann,” Theresa said.
“Joel said that Eichmann wore a sharp, tailored uniform, and his eyes were steely blue, hard, and sharp. When he looked at you, his eyes seemed to bore holes through you. Joel kept on describing him like he was describing some unearthly creature. He said, ‘It was only later that I noticed his small face with its thin lips and sharp nose.’ He mentioned that Eichmann’s speech was like ‘the clatter of a machine gun.’ But the bottom line was that Eichmann was ready to talk about negotiating a deal. ”
“Which deal?” Carl asked. “Was it the same as the Europa Plan or a different deal?”
“If it’s real,” Theresa said, “it is earthshaking, but probably impossible. According to Joel and Kasztner, Eichmann proposed that Joel broker a deal between the SS and the United States or Britain—he didn’t care which one.
The Nazis would exchange one million Jews for ten thousand trucks for the Eastern Front, and large quantities of tea and other goods.
Eichmann called it Blut gegen Waren , which means ‘Blood for Goods.’”
“Are you serious?” Carl said. “He was exchanging blood for goods?”
“Right. Isn’t that awful? Joel quoted Eichmann, who reportedly said, ‘I have already made investigations about you and your people, and I have verified your ability to make a deal. Now then, I am prepared to sell you one million Jews. Blut gegen Waren. Blood for goods.’ Eichmann said that Joel could take the one million Jews from any place or country he could find them.
Eichmann mentioned Hungary, Poland, and Austria.
Or he said that Joel could take them out of Nazi detention camps.
‘Theresienstadt, Auschwitz, or wherever you like.’” Theresa looked at Carl.
“It makes me sick to my stomach, but that’s what Joel said. ”
“This can’t be real,” Carl said. “How could he offer to take them from concentration camps? I thought they were killing centers.”
“Joel said the same thing to Eichmann. Eichmann shook his head. ‘Auschwitz is a prison camp. Many perform work there. It is a false rumor that Jews are taken there to die, though some do die: sickness, age, whatever. Thousands and thousands of prisoners are sleeping in huts.’”
“Joel believed him?”
“I don’t know, but he told us that’s what Eichmann said.
He also said he would take the proposal back with him to Berlin and discuss it, and he was confident it would be approved.
In the meantime, Joel was to do the same thing.
He was to present the proposal to the US representatives and the British representatives and determine what kinds of goods they were in a position to offer.
Eichmann even arranged a permit for Joel to travel to America and to England to discuss it. ”
“Did Berlin approve of the deal? I can’t believe this,” Carl said.
“Eichmann came back a couple of weeks later and told Joel that Berlin would go along with it. In the meantime, while they were talking, no mass deportations would take place. He asked Joel what the leaders in London and Washington had to say. Joel had no answer. He wasn’t going to propose anything to the Allies until he knew that the deal would be acceptable to Berlin and they would go through with it.
At that point, Eichmann said that Berlin would approve of exchanging one million Jews for ten thousand new trucks for the Waffen-SS to use only on the Eastern Front or for civilian purposes, not to fight against US or British.
And in addition, Eichmann wanted two hundred tons of tea, eight hundred tons of coffee, two million cases of soap, and a quantity of tungsten and other materials.
If the Allies agreed to do the deal, and if Joel could return with proof in the way of a partial payment, Eichmann said he would immediately release ten percent, or one hundred thousand Jews, for every one thousand trucks. ”
“Is that where the negotiation stands at this time?” Carl asked.
Julia nodded. “Joel said he is already approaching the US and Britain through his contacts. I promised to convey the details of the plan to John at the WRB. I’m going to call him in a few minutes.
Afterward, I’m scheduled to meet up with Theresa and her father at the synagogue.
We are supposed to take him a dozen letters of protection.
As you know, he is interviewing families who have escaped capture by Nazi squads in the countryside. ”
“Gertrud was going to go with you, but she has two apartment inspections tonight. She and Martin are going after dinner. How many letters did you want?”
“Benjamin said a dozen,” Julia said. “That will cover twelve families, or maybe forty-eight people. That was a brilliant idea of yours, the family plan. Right now, I’m going to call John Pehle.
I don’t look forward to this call. How do I tell him about the blood-for-goods proposal and the need for ten thousand trucks?
If this goes through, I will be the most shocked girl on earth. ”
John Pehle’s response conveyed incredulity. “What?” he said in a voice raised three octaves. “He wants what ? And he calls it Blood for Goods ? Eichmann has the unconscionable nerve to call the release of innocent human beings blood . That is so crass and inhuman, it is beyond belief.”
“Basically, he proposes to release a million humans for ten thousand trucks, and tea and coffee, and other things,” Julia said. “Joel Brand thinks that Eichmann will do it. Joel is going to his contacts in Washington and London to see if he can get it funded.”
“I can’t imagine where he is going to get those vehicles and materials.
Churchill won’t go for this. Can you imagine taking trucks away from your own armed forces and your industries and sending them to your enemy?
Churchill won’t do business with Hitler.
I can take this up to Morgenthau at Treasury, but it’s going nowhere.
From there, it would need either presidential or congressional approval.
I know you can’t see me right now, but I’m shaking my head as hard as I can. It’s not happening.”
“John,” Julia pleaded, “these are a million human lives that otherwise will be put to death. We can take them right out of the concentration camps, and Eichmann has promised to halt deportations from Hungary while we are negotiating.”
“And you believe him? Do you think Eichmann will keep his word? He’s just playing us.”
“I don’t know. What does he have to gain by playing us? Joel said that Eichmann has paused transports from Hungary to camps in Poland.”
There was a brief hesitation on the phone, and finally, John said, “What does Carl think about this offer?”
“Same as you. Very pessimistic. He said it can’t be real,” Julia said. “He doesn’t believe Eichmann.”
“Exactly. Why would we take the word of a mass murderer? He is a callous, soulless fiend,” John said. “Why would we trust anything he had to say? Besides, he would earn Hitler’s wrath. Hitler wants to eradicate Jews more than he wants to receive trucks.”
In her mind, Julia could see John’s face, his lips tight in an angry sneer. “I know it sounds crazy,” Julia answered. “I am just doing what I’m told.”
“Let me discuss this with the rest of the WRB, and we’ll get back to you. Let’s plan on touching base on Tuesday. Call me at ten o’clock Eastern time.”