Night Angels(45)

“Grace, let’s go to the park for a walk.”

“You have time for a walk? Yes, I’d love to.” I looped my arm through his, heading toward the consulate’s entrance. “Let’s go get some fresh air. It’s a good day today. How many visas have you issued?”

“Forty-eight people applied. I’ll have the visas ready tomorrow.”

He didn’t sound pleased. “What’s wrong?”

“These people have no idea what Shanghai is like. It was bombed for four months, and the city is nothing but rubble. They will live under the shadow of Japanese fighter planes and gangsters’ gunfire. They won’t be able to survive there.”

“Where else could they go? They are not allowed to live here,” I reminded him.

It was a beautiful day in the park. The sunlight shone like a mirror, the pavement sparkled, and the chestnut trees locked their limbs with one another and swayed. A flock of birds rushed above a fountain and flitted to stand on a statue’s head. In the air played an Italian overture, a familiar melody that I had heard in a chamber.

Fengshan sat on a bench, pensive, the bright sunlight on his shoulder. “I wish there were a protected area for them, a special place where they wouldn’t need to worry about the assault of the Japanese, like an island.”

“There’s already an island for them.”

He turned to me. “What did you say?”

“Well . . . Wait, let me think. A couple at Eichmann’s party mentioned that to me. Their country offered visas to the Jews. What was the country called? Let me think . . . I remember . . . Dominic, no, the Dominican Republic.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am. I meant to tell you, but with Eichmann, it slipped my mind. The Dominican Republic. Yes. That’s the country. The couple didn’t quite fit in at the party, so they were delighted to speak to me. They spoke good English. The lady wore a pineapple-colored dress. I didn’t know where the country was. They said it was an island in the Caribbean.”

“An island country.”

“The couple said Mr. Wiley approached them a few months ago. He offered a large sum to the ambassador of the Dominican Republic in exchange for a path for Jews to immigrate to their country. The Dominican Republic happened to need help for their agriculture, so a deal was made. Did Mr. Wiley tell you when you met him?”

“He had no reason to, but if it’s true, it’s extraordinary. I didn’t know the American government would provide a large sum for the refugees.”

“Oh, it wasn’t the government. It was from the Quakers; do you know Quakers? And some Jewish organizations in the US.”

“I’ve heard some church friends talk about Quakers. What was the sum Mr. Wiley offered?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”

“How many refugees will the Dominican Republic accept?”

“I heard ten thousand.”

“That’s ten thousand lives!”

“I think so. But I can be wrong. My love?”

He shot up to his feet. “Well done, Grace, well done indeed! Let’s go back to the consulate. Quick. We need to go. I have an important rescue plan that I need to write.”





CHAPTER 26


FENGSHAN


China had many islands, too, small, like those in the Caribbean, and China had many vast lands, underdeveloped in the southwest. With some strategic planning, those islands or the uncultivated lands could be home to the desperate Viennese.

It might have been inconceivable before, but this was an opportunity for China to rise on the world stage by solving the Jewish situation. What a windfall it would be if China could receive international acclaim and financial support like the Dominican Republic!

Preoccupied, he didn’t talk to Grace or answer her questions and went straight to his office, passing the visa applicants in the lobby. He had to hold on to his thoughts, fearing the brilliant plan would escape if he spoke. Once at his desk, he spread out sheets of paper and grabbed his fountain pen. A rescue plan, a perfect plan, throbbed in his head. Feverish, he drafted his proposal.



On his report day, Fengshan first asked about the defense that Wuhan had been putting up for the past two months. Ambassador Chen didn’t seem to be anxious about the Japanese attack on Wuhan, which boded well. If the Nationalist army succeeded in defending Wuhan, there would be hope for them to recoup, gather strength and train the army with the funds they would receive from the Americans.

Then Fengshan articulated his rescue plan to his superior as calmly as he could. “If China implements a broad, lenient policy regarding the Jews and accepts them, it will elevate the country’s reputation and win the admiration of countries such as Britain and France and many others in the world. China will also gain many allies and support of willing lenders among the powerful organizations in the United States.”

Fengshan heard a loud groan from Ambassador Chen, but he had prepared, and he pleaded for the ambassador’s patience. “Many Jews are talented, and they will be grateful for the rescue. Some of them are powerful bankers as you might have heard.” He couldn’t verify this yet, but he knew this would be very persuasive to Ambassador Chen.

“You’ve made a good case, Fengshan, but I’ve reminded you repeatedly that we’re at war with the Japanese. Cities have been lost, looted, and burned. You’re talking about sending Jews to fire. Is a good death in China better than a bad living in Germany?”