Donovan was surprised that Hoover was offering the FBI to do the President’s illegal bidding. Roosevelt acted as if he didn’t hear him.
“I yesterday afternoon sent to the Senate the name of Commander Douglass for promotion to captain,” Roosevelt said. “And I instructed the secretary of the Navy to place Captain Douglass on indefinite duty with the Office of the Coordinator of Inforr-nation. In the absence of Bill, when dealing with COI, you will deal with Douglass.
“I have also instructed the chief of naval intelligence that he is to transfer to COI whatever people Captain Douglass asks for. And I want you, Edgar, to send over six of your best people to Douglass. Your very best people.”
“Yes, Mr. President,” Hoover said.
The people he will send, Douglass thought, will be the ones who will spy most effectively on us.
“From the people so assembled, Captain Douglass will select those who will accompany the scientists to England as their protectors, and to see what other information they can develop.”
“I respectfully-” Hoover tried again.
“I told you before, Edgar,” the President said, “that this decision is not open for debate.”
“Yes, Mr. President,” Hoover said. The second most skilled politician in Washington knew when not to argue.
“Is that about it, Bill?” the President asked.
“Just one thing,” Donovan said. “Edgar, if we want to arm our people, what would be the most inconspicuous way to do it?”
“Are you asking me if I will see FBI credentials given to your people?” Hoover asked, his face flushing.
“Edgar,” the President said, “you missed the point. If Bill asks you for FBI credentials, you will either give him the credentials or explain to me why you can’t.”
“I don’t want FBI credentials Donovan said. “I want something that won’t call attention to our people. The FBI is famous. We want to be anonymous.”
“Did you say ‘infarnous’?” the President asked.
“Deputy U.S. marshal,” Hoover said after a moment’s thought. “They’re armed, and they travel a good deal. How soon will you need them?”
“As soon as you and the Navy send your people,” Douglass said. “I’ll take care of it,” Hoover said.
“I have heard from the National Institute of Health about you, Bill,” the President said.
“The National Institute of Health?”
“You will be thrilled, I’m sure, to hear that you now have offices. In the National Institute of Health.”
“The NIHT’ Hoover asked, amused.
“I considered St. Elizabeths for a while,” the President said, “before settling on NIH. At least it will be close to your place in Georgetown.”
“Your kindness overwhelms me, Franklin,” Donovan said.
“I wish you’d call me “Mr. President,”‘ Roosevelt said.
Donovan’s eyebrows went up, but he didn’t reply.
“I have another remark I wish to make as President,” Roosevelt said. “I consider this atomic-bomb business the most important single thing we’re doing. If I have made that point, gentlemen, I think we can finally get down to the drinking part of the evening.”
“Yes, Mr. President,” Donovan said immediately.
Roosevelt looked at Hoover.
“Mr. President,” Hoover said, “the FBI and I are absolutely at your disposal.”
“That’s very fine of you, Edgar,” Roosevelt said. “I expected nothing less.”
He really didn’t know whether Roosevelt was being sarcastic or not, Donovan thought.
“I think our first little snort,” the President said, “should be a toast to the newly promoted Captain Douglass.”
Rangoon, Burma 16 September 1941
Ed Bitter had presumed the.50-caliber ammunition spilled into the hold at Pearl Harbor had been intended for the American Volunteer Group’s aircraft. The P40-B had two.50-caliber Brownings mounted in the nose, and two.30-caliber Brownings in the wings. But when the Jan Suvit stopped at Manila, the ammunition had been off-loaded.
After a day and a half in Manila, they steamed back out of the harbor, past the fortress of Corregidor, for Batavia, Indonesia. From Batavia, there was another long leg of the journey, the last, into the Gulf of Martaban, and then twenty-odd miles up the Rangoon River to Rangoon itself. They had been almost ninety days enroute from San Francisco.
A representative of the American Volunteer Group, another old birdman in the mold of Chennault, came aboard with the river pilot, and there was a military-type formation in which the 106 Americans aboard the Jan Suvit were divided into two groups. One group would consist of most of the pilots, Crookshanks told them, with a few maintenance and administrative personnel, and the other group would consist of the bulk of the maintenance personnel, a few administrative people, and two wingmen, Bitter and Canidy.