When I returned to the embassy, I reported to Molotov, as usual, the meeting with Mrs. Roosevelt today, and even the situation before and after Roosevelt's appearance.
After listening to my narration, Molotov asked solemnly, "Comrade oshanina, is everything you said to President Roosevelt true?"
"Yes, comrade member of the people's Foreign Affairs Committee." To his question, I answered truthfully, "everything I said is true." In order to make him completely believe that what I said was true, I specially stressed that "during the war of Stalingrad's defense, two eastern battalions once surrendered to us, and many officers and soldiers once served as guards or special units in concentration camps. In addition, after our department captured the division commander of the skeleton division, we learned something about the inside of the concentration camp from him. It's the combination of these two aspects of intelligence and some personal analysis that enables me to tell President Roosevelt things like that as if I had witnessed the whole process with my own eyes. "
"Let me ask you, how can you be sure that President Roosevelt will agree with what you said?" Molotov asked in a skeptical tone: "if you know what you said, even I find it incredible, how can you let the president of a country listen to your one-sided words?"
"Please rest assured, comrade member of the people's Foreign Affairs Committee." As for his distrust, I said with confidence: "in fact, President Roosevelt received a secret letter from British Prime Minister Winston Churchill not long ago, in which he heard something similar. The British intelligence was obtained from an intelligence agent in the Netherlands, whose original source was a SS officer in a concentration camp. "
"SS officer?" Molotov listened to me with a look of surprise on his face. Then he put on a face again and said in a disdainful tone, "is it possible that these inhuman guys can still provide intelligence to the allied intelligence officers?"
"I heard President Roosevelt mention it implicitly." I knew that Molotov could not go to Roosevelt to verify some things, so he boldly went on to make it up: "the * * officers who provided information were responsible for providing hydrocyanic acid to the concentration camps, which was used as a poison for killing Jews. Wrapped in the ugly uniform of the SS, a noble soul was deeply ashamed of being involved in this evil plan, so he risked his life to expose the atrocities of the government. He also said: "I can't turn a blind eye to what's happening in front of me."
"So President Roosevelt believed what you said." Molotov curiously asked: "do you think the United States will make a statement publicly attacking the ugly acts of genocide committed by the * *
As for Molotov's question, I can only shake my head again and say with great regret: "sorry, comrade Foreign Affairs People's commissar, I really don't know what kind of decision President Roosevelt will make. After all, his rights are restricted by Congress and the house of Representatives."
"Well, I'll report this to Comrade Stalin by telegram later." As soon as I had finished, he gave me an order to leave: "you go back to rest first, and tomorrow you will accompany Mrs. Roosevelt to the hospital for inspection."
At nine o'clock the next morning, the car Mrs. Roosevelt sent to pick me up arrived.
I got a phone call from the staff and rushed out of my room. I found that I knew two people sitting in the car. One was Mr. James, and the other was Colonel Henry. He actually sat in the driver's seat.
See my appearance, two people smile to say hello to me. James also urged me: "general o'shanina, get in the car quickly. Mrs. Eleanor is waiting for you."
I nodded, stooped into the back of the car, sat side by side with James, and closed the door. I looked at Henry, who was ready to drive, and asked with a smile, "Mr. Colonel, how can you drive today? I'm so flattered that you are such an excellent naval officer to be my driver?"
"That's what Madame means." James preempted Henry's reply, and then he patted Henry gently on the shoulder: "the colonel can drive."
The car we were in had just driven out. Before the speed was raised, Henry slammed on the brakes and stopped the car.
"What's the matter, captain? Why did you stop?" As soon as the car stopped, James, who was sitting next to me, immediately asked.
Henry turned to his side and said innocently, "there are embassy staff in front of us holding our way. It seems that he has something urgent."
Listening to Henry's words, I bent slightly and looked out of the front window to see a staff member running towards our car. The staff came to my side and knocked on the window, as if they had something to say to me. I quickly rolled down the window, leaned out half of the body and asked, "what's the matter?"
The staff member bent down and said to me respectfully, "general oshanina, comrade member of the people's Foreign Affairs Committee has something urgent for you. Please go to his room immediately."
When I heard the staff say this, I turned around and looked at James and Henry in the car. Then I turned around and said to the staff in a dilemma, "but you see, I'm going out with my friends in the United States now. It's also very important for me."
I thought that when I said this, the staff would retreat. Unexpectedly, he said solemnly: "general oshanina, I have been ordered to inform you that today's foreign affairs activities are cancelled. Please get out of the car and report to the people's Foreign Affairs Committee immediately." With that, he stretched out his hand to open the door and stood upright beside the door, waiting for me to get off.
I don't know what happened. Even an ordinary staff member dares to be so bossy to me. I wanted to attack him, but I saw two people coming out from the door of the hall. They looked around and ran towards me. I recognized that one of them often appeared around Molotov, and I knew that I might not be able to leave the embassy with James today. I had to turn around and smile at him, and said apologetically, "Mr. James, it seems that something really big is going to happen, so I may not be able to go with you today. Please say sorry for me when you see my wife. Good luck Then I reached out and shook him.
When I reached out to Colonel Henry, he looked a little embarrassed. Seeing that my hand reached in front of him, I held it in a hurry and asked vaguely, "general, is everything you said in front of the president yesterday true?"
"What's that?" Henry's mindless question confused me.
"It's the organized and premeditated massacre of Jews." Henry took a look at the staff standing outside the door and asked me in a low voice, "is all that true?"
"Yes, Colonel Henry." Although I don't know why he suddenly asked about it, I told him truthfully: "although I didn't see these things with my own eyes, I can take my honor to assure you that they are absolutely true?"
Henry let go of my head, grabbed his head and whispered in agony, "my God, my God, what should I do?"
"What's the matter, Colonel?" Henry's reaction made me confused. I glanced at the two people who were going to walk to the car and asked quickly, "did I say something wrong?"
"You said nothing wrong, general oshanina." James interjected: "the reason why Colonel Henry is like this is that he has relatives who fall into the hands of the Italian government."
"Mr. James, what the hell is going on? I'm confused. Can you explain it to me? " Seeing that Molotov's entourage had arrived at the side of the car, I was deeply afraid that he would urge me and cause me to be confused about the whole situation, so I yelled at him, "wait a minute, I'll get off after a few words with my American friends."
James took a look at the distressed Captain Henry, and then leisurely said, "we just got the news that the captain's eldest daughter-in-law, Natalie, and her two grandchildren, as well as Natalie's uncle, were all caught by the Italians and put in a concentration camp when they were crossing the border."
"Are they Jews?" Although I heard that I was just put in an Italian concentration camp, I still feel insecure. It seems that many Jews were killed by Italians. If Henry's relatives were Jewish, it would be more or less dangerous.
"Yes," James replied positively, "Natalie and her uncle are Jewish. But the old man is a famous Jewish writer. Maybe the Italians will give him the treatment he deserves when they know his identity. "
I feel speechless about James' fantasy. As long as the Jews enter the concentration camp, no matter how high your previous status is, they will be just like ordinary prisoners. There is no hope that they will survive.
I wanted to tell the truth directly, but I couldn't bear to see that Captain Henry was suffering. So I had to find some good words to persuade him: "Captain, I think Mr. James is right. Before the Italians see that Natalie's uncle is a famous writer, they will not only give him the preferential treatment he deserves, but also give him some good advice in the near future, We can get him out of the camp. Don't worry too much. Pay more attention to your body. "
Hearing my advice, Henry put down his hands, looked up, and asked me excitedly, "general, will this happen?"
I know that if I want to come out again after entering the concentration camp, no Jew of any status can come out of the concentration camp alive unless I get the help of a good man like Schindler. But to comfort Colonel Henry, I lied against my will: "don't worry, Colonel. There is a famous saying in the East that a good man has his own appearance. I'm sure Natalie and her uncle, and your two grandchildren, will soon leave the camp and come to the United States to join you. "
After releasing Henry, I reached out to shake his hand again and said sincerely, "Captain, thank you for accompanying me to the Norfolk Naval base two days ago, and for taking the trouble to get me on the newly launched destroyer. I am very grateful to you. Goodbye. I hope we can see each other again soon. Then Natalie and your two grandchildren will come to America to join you With that, I let go of his hand, nodded to James, and went straight out of the open door.
I followed my entourage to Molotov's room and unexpectedly found khrushiev in it. When he saw me coming, Molotov didn't beat around the Bush and said to me frankly, "o'shanina, I know you are very surprised why I asked you to cancel today's foreign affairs and call you to my room."
I didn't speak, just nodded to show that I did have such questions“ Comrade oshanina, "said khrusholev, sitting on the sofa," something happened in China. In the telegram just received from China, we ordered that, except Comrade Molotov to stay and continue negotiations with the US side, you and I should rush back to Moscow immediately and report to the supreme command. "“ I don't know what happened in China? " When I heard khrushiev say this, I could not help but clap. At the same time, I began to speculate about what would be the major event, which would make us rush back immediately. Because I was worried, I could not help asking what I thought. Hearing my question, khrushiev stood up, walked up to me and said to me, "Comrade oshanina, I planned to tell you about this in a few days. But because it has a lot to do with you, I'd better tell you. The German army has already invaded Kiev. After two days of fierce fighting, almost half of the cities have fallen back into the hands of the German aggressors, and our troops are still fighting in the remaining areas. " From khrushiev's story, I quickly understand that Stalin's urgent call for us to go back must have something to do with Kiev's imminent collapse. Turning to look behind me, I found that all the staff who accompanied me had left. There were only three of us left in the room. So I boldly asked the question in my heart: "Comrade minister, I want to ask if the Supreme Command recalled us to Moscow to discuss how to hold Kiev." When khrushiev listened to me, he turned his head and looked at Molotov, and a smile appeared on his face. He nodded and said: "yes, comrade oshanina, as you imagine, the headquarters called us back to make sure that the defenders who were holding fast to Kiev would not be encircled or captured by the German army like the year before last. Just now, comrade Molotov said, "you can definitely guess the reason why our superior sent us back to China. At that time, I didn't believe it. I didn't expect that Comrade CPPCC was really right."“ Comrade minister, I don't know when we will start? " I heard that the situation in Kiev was critical. I didn't want to stay any longer for a minute, so I immediately asked, "what I'm worried about now is whether the defenders in the city can persist until we rush back home." Khrushiev raised his hand, looked at his watch, and then replied, "we'll get to the airport in half an hour and fly back the same way. As for when Kiev's defenders can hold out, it's up to fate. "