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CHAPTER VII
In the War Department at Wash
ington the evening had passed on
in feverish staff preparation for fu
ture trouble, but with small belief
that the first thunderbolt of Van
Hassek’s attack would fall ’ before
midnight. Even Flagwill, gifted
Chief of Military Intelligence, had
muffed the ball, interpreting the eve
ning rumors from Fort Sam Houston
as symptoms of a slowly brewing
mischief that might not fester into
violence for days or weeks.
On getting clear of the staff ses
sions in General Hague’s office
shortly after eight o’clock, Flagwill
put his shoulder to the wheel of
what now had become a major re
sponsibility of his own section. He
assembled his sub-chiefs and an
nounced his decision.
“Gentlemen, the President has au
thorized a spy roundup with the
gloves off. I needn’t tell you that in
past months we haven’t even
scratched the surface. You all
know your leads, now get into ac
tion. With gloves off, and nobody
to be spared who looks to us like a
foreign agent. Any questions?”
In grave silence the small group of
officers rose. They knew that not
even an order of battle had greater
significance nor more vital impor
tance. A secret army of termites,
entrenched by years of organized
stealth in arsenals and factories,
was more dangerous than a dozen
attacking divisions. By means of an
organization that reached into every
agency of investigation and law en
forcement throughout the United
States, our G-2 would launch attack
on organized espionage at once.
“Very well, gentlemen, that’s all,”
Flagwill said when he read from
their faces that his section chiefs
had no questions to ask. He added,
swinging his level eyes to Benning,
“You will wait, Captain, for special
instructions.”
Benning stood in front of the Flag
will desk until the swinging doors
closed behind the others. The colo
nel spoke at once.
“In your report on Van Hassek’s
headquarters at Mexico City, Ben
ning, you mentioned that Colonel
Bravot left on some mysterious mis
sion, ostensibly to Europe. I think
you said your Austrian friend also
disappeared the last day you were
in Mexico."
“Yes, sir,” Benning affirmed.
“You’d better have a look-see
among the hot spots in Washington.
It’s entirely possible you’ll see some
one you know. A break of that kind
might lead us anywhere.”
Benning took a taxicab to the
Army and Navy Club where he ef
fected some slight changes of ap
pearance.
At the Shoreham his gaze was
making a first round of the tables
skirting the dance floor when it cen
tered with a start upon a familiar
face. The man, dressed in dinner
clothes, sat alone, his eyes gleaming
with some inner excitement as he
puffed at a cigar. Benning moved
up for a closer view and found
prompt verification. Undoubtedly
here was the Austrian captain,
Fincke, of the Van Hassek staff.
Benning walked casually up to the
Fincke table and sat down beside
the Van Hassek spy.
“Hello, Fincke,” he said.
Fincke started, his right hand
jerked toward his pocket, then he
relaxed with a nervous laugh as he
recognized his unexpected visitor
from the Palacio Nacional.
“My, Bromlitz, but you startled
me!” he gasped. "I didn’t know
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM
BLAKELY THEATRE
Thursday-Friday, Feb. 27-28
TYRONE POWER —LINDA DARNELL in
“THE MARK OF ZORRO”
Saturday, March 1
808 STEELE in
“BILLY, THE KID, OUTLAWED”
Admission 10c Serial and Comedy
Saturday Late Show 10:30
ERNEST TRUEX—LUELLE FAIRBANKS in
“CALLING ALL HUSBANDS”
Monday-Tuesday, March 3-4
Henry Fonda—Linda Darnell—Dorothy Lamour in
“CHAD HANNA”
Wednesday, March 5
KAY FRANCIS—GEORGE BANCROFT in
“LITTLE MEN”
UUHimiJllllilllUlHlllllllllllllHltllllllllHllltllllllllllllllHlllililllllllHlJHUlHßlHHin
you were within a thousand miles of
Washington.”
Benning said in a matter-of-fact
way: “Flew up yesterday, Fincke.
Hoped I might be lucky enough to
run into you tonight. How are things
here?”
Fincke leaned across the table and
lowered his voice. His eyes gleamed
with excitement.
“Did Colonel Bravot send you to
work with us tonight?” he whis
pered.
Benning pretended annoyance and
warned, “Not quite so free with
names, Fincke.” He added with a
bantering smile, “I thought the colo
nel promised that you were to go
back to your artillery when the show
started?”
"Himmel, but there’s bigger game
here than a battery of field artil
lery!” Fincke retorted with a snap
of his fingers. “Already I am a ma
jor, Bromlitz. If I succeed tonight
it will be because of my knowledge
of ballistics, my training in the ar
tillery, and there’ll be another pro
motion for me.”
“Then what?” Benning mocked.
“Then, in a week or so, the big
cruise. There’ll be real history,
Bromlitz, when we cut this little old
country right in half, and it will
make me a full colonel! Are you in
on that one, Bromlitz?”
“I’m not saying anything,” Ben
ning answered, with a quizzical
smile that suggested full understand
ing of the Austrian’s cryptic words.
Benning’s eyes had been wander
ing about the room and he thought
there was something vaguely famil
iar in the thin man with the shiny
bald head who sat nearby.
"You knew, of course,” Benning
said casually to Fincke, “that the
old hawk, Colonel Boggio, is here in
Washington?”
Fincke shook a waggish finger and
accused, “I thought you warned me
we mustn’t be so free in mention
ing names.”
“Correct, but please note that I
lowered my voice. Os course, if
we’re going to be so technical as
all that, Fincke, perhaps we’d bet
ter identify ourselves to each other
officially. Go ahead.”
“It’s the best cover-up I’ve ever
heard,” Fincke replied with enthusi
asm. “You can say anything you
want so long as you mention just
those two things. That’s vastly bet
ter than having a regular formula
for identification which the enemy
might pick up on you.”
“Fine enough, but let’s hear you
identify yourself, Fincke.”
“Once I knew a man named Pa
lacio Quatres who owned a fine pair
of silver sabers,” the Austrian con
fided.
Benning quickly searched through
Fincke’s remark and decided that
the key words, by which Van Has
sek agents identified themselves to
one another must be “palacio qua
tres” and “silver sabers.”
He said: “How do you like this
one, Fincke? There’s an old shop
known as the Palacio Quatres that
has for sale some interesting an
tiques in the form of silver sabers.”
“Just as good as mine, maybe
better,” Fincke approved.
Boggio had finished his dance.
Benning observed that the Italian
was getting ready to leave the Shore
ham. He made a hurried estimate.
The instant arrest of these two men
would only net the secret service
two more spies who would spill noth
ing. Only by holding them under
close observation could the ramifica
tions of their mischief in Washing-
EARLY COUNTY NEWS, BLAKELY, GEORGIA
9&l9W'''iSp H"
"That means we are at war.”
ton be traced down. He decided that
Boggio was bigger game and got to
his feet.
“Where’ll I find you later,
Fincke?” he demanded.
Fincke stared at his watch and its
dial seemed to bring a nervous quiv
er to his fingers. His eyes lighted
up again in that strange excitement
of his.
“I’ll be about for only a week or
so, Bromlitz,” he answered. “If
this place closes, we can find each
other at meal-times at one of the
good places on Connecticut Avenue.
But after tonight—we must be very
careful.”
Benning’s cab swung sharply and
without warning to the curb as it
turned into Pennsylvania Avenue.
Vaguely Benning had noted that the
driver had his radio tuned in on a
dance program. As the car jolted to a
stop, the cabman put his radio on
full blast and turned to Benning with
gaping eyes.
“Did you hear that, mister?” he
gasped.
An excited broadcaster, striving
for control of his voice, was talking
loudly.
“The report is just confirmed—
San Antonio attacked from the air—
hundreds reported killed by explo
sive bombs—New Orleans is being
bombed at this minute—Galveston
is being bombed—air attack on Unit
ed States without warning—”
Again the driver turned a face dis
torted by a frenzy of excitement.
“My God, mister!” he shouted. “Is
that the real thing?”
Benning said in a firm, calm voice,
“Please drive me quickly to the Mu
nitions Building. That means we’re
at war.”
Until those first bombs crashed on
Fort Sam Houston there had been
no reports given to the public of the
day’s alarming rumors along the Rio
Grande.
Benning leaned tensely forward as
if to add his tension to the speed
of the cab. The radio screeched on.
From time to time the announcer
asked that no more telephone calls
be attempted. Information would be
given to all over the air as fast as re
ceived.
Then—
“An enemy air force of undeter
mined strength is reported flying
north, its objective may be Wash
ington or New York. All persons
are cautioned not to gather in
crowds. Please remain calm and
stay where you are. It may be that
nothing will happen—”
His cab swung to the curb at the
Munitions Building, Benning hurried
inside. The corridors rang with the
chatter of typewriters. Army offi
cers of various rank were glued over
desks or assembled in section con
ference groups as they slaved over
the staggering details of the job
ahead of them.
Colonel Flagwill was in his office
alone. Benning found his chief lolled
back in a chair with heels laid ab
surdly on top of his desk. He was
puffing composedly at a cigarette,
his face relaxed.
“Hello, Benning,” Flagwill said la
conically. “How you feeling?”
Benning said, “Well, sir, I heard
the news and thought I ought to
report in case you need me for any
thing.”
The colonel stretched himself.
“You know, Benning, I saw it had
to come, and I feel better now we’ve
got it on our hands. All we need is
the President’s word to start gen
eral mobilization of the Army and
National Guard. As soon as the
Chief gets back from the White
House we’ll be in motion.” Flagwill
indulged a sardonic smile. “Not
that our mobilization will do any
immediate good to save the country
a lot of headaches. But it’ll be a
start.”
. J'What’.s the news about bombers
headed this direction?”
“Our air staff is divided on wheth
er Van Hassek has any bombers
that can make Washington and back
to Mexico without refueling. But—
my own idea—they could have an
emergency landing-place somewhere
along the way, couldn’t they? It’d
work this once, anyhow.”
“Then there may be a real air
threat, sir?”
“I urged General Hague to get the
President to leave the White House
and go over to Chevy Chase for the
night,” Flagwill averred. “At least
to set up in less vulnerable quar
ters in Washington. There’s no use
pretending a fool’s paradise in this
country any longer, Benning. Any
thing can happen now.”
A major from the chief of air
service banged into the room, his
face ashen, though he spoke col
lectedly.
“We’ve picked up what appears
to be confirmation, Colonel,” the ma
jor reported. “As near as can be
made out a squadron of seven bomb
ers, with an undetermined force of
smaller ships, passed over North
Carolina a short time ago. Speed
estimated at two hundred miles per
hour. Our best time calculations
suggest that they could cross the
Potomac in approximately two
hours, if this is their objective.”
“Very good, Major, keep me in
formed,” Flagwill answered, with
out change of posture or position.
He stretched himself again and
casually lighted another cigarette.
Then he swung his feet to the floor
and pulled himself up to his desk.
“I’ve found a couple of good spy
leads, sir,” Benning interposed.
“Would you care to hear my re
port?”
“Not right now,” Flagwill said de
cisively. “I’ve just had a few min
utes’ relaxation —now for the tough
est decision I ever tackled. I’ve
got to have my estimate of this
whole tangled situation ready for
General Hague by midnight.
“Now you get out among your
spies—or you might take a look-see
at what our anti-aircraft does for
itself. But report to me here at
midnight. I may want you to sit
in at the chief’s conference.”
Benning took a taxicab and drove
to a point near the Washington Mon
ument where .50 caliber Brownings
were setting up to look after attack
on smaller ships that might venture
within machine-gun range if the as
sault on Washington materialized.
The gun batteries and searchlights
had been thrust across the Potomac
into Virginia to catch raiding bomb
ers before they reached the bomb
release line from which they would
lay their eggs of destruction as they
approached Washington. The search
lights were echeloned, a full comple
ment of fifteen lights, five thousand
yards beyond the city. The techni
cal sections with their sound loca
tors, effective up to eleven thousand
yards, and their intricate systems
and instruments for raking the skies,
were perfecting their plans of such
defense as a single regiment, at
peace strength and short two gun
batteries, would be able to give the
nation’s capital.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
CITATION
Early County Court of Ordinary:
Mrs. Margaret K. Ivey having
made application for twelve months’
support out of the estate of G. L.
Ivey, and appraisers duly appointed
to set apart same having filed their
returns, all persons concerned are
hereby required to show cause be
fore the Court of Ordinary of said
county on the First Monday in
March, 1941, why said application
should* not be granted.
This 3rd day of February, 1941.
D. C. MORGAN, Ordinary.
CITATION
GEORGIA—EarIy County:
To whom it may concern:
P. Z. Smith, as administrator of
the estate of D. S. Stephenson, de
ceased, having applied to me by pe
tition for leave to sell the real es
tate of said deceased, described in
said petition, this is to notify the
creditors and kindred that said ap
plication will be passed upon at the
March Term, 1941, of the Court of
Ordinary of said County, and that,
unless cause is then shown to the
contrary, said leave will be granted.
This February 3rd, 1941.
D. C. MORGAN, Ordinary.
CITATION
GEORGIA —Early County:
To all whom it may concern:
W. A. Evans, guardian of Leone
E. Evans, having in due form applied
to the undersigned for leave to
sell, for maintenance and support,
all of lots No. 1, 2 and 3 in Block
B-4 in the Nazarene Heights Subdi
vision in the City of Donalsonville,
Seminole County, Georgia, property
of Leone E. Evans, ward.
Notice is hereby given that said
application will be heard in the
next Court of Ordinary of said
county, on the first Monday in March
next.
Witness my hand and official sig
nature, this 3rd day of February,
1941.
D. C. MORGAN,
Ordinary, Early County, Ga.
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A marauder, stealing coal in At
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za Magnolia Looge No
86 Free and Accept
/pStX e<t Masons holds reg
u^ar commun oations
‘x"/C on th® first an( l third
f sb/ \ Monday nights in
each month. The
time is 8 p. m. in the summer, 7:30
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J. G. STANDIFER, Secretary.
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AND CREDITORS
GEORGIA—EarIy County:
All creditors of the estate of D. S.
Stephenson, late of said county, de
ceased, are hereby notified to file
their claims against the said estate,
and all persons indebted to said es
tate are required to make immediate
payment to me.
This February 24th, 1941.
P. Z. SMITH, Administrator,
Estate of D. S. Stephenson.
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