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While Hoover did not personally respond—it’s not clear if he had been given the opportunity—FBI agents did arrive at the room at the Mayflower and Dasch and Burger were taken to FBI headquarters.
They gave their statements and turned over the U.S. currency they had brought, as well as maps of the places that they were supposed to have bombed—power plants, water supplies, train stations, factories, and more.
And they gave details of the other agents’ missions.
Within two weeks, all eight agents had been arrested.
When Hoover made the announcement that the manhunt for the German agents was over, that the FBI had them in custody, the part about Dasch and Burger having surrendered and then giving up the other teams was not mentioned.
The reason for the omission, he had privately explained, was that he wanted the enemy to believe that U.S. counterintelligence had rooted out their agents.
Left unsaid: And if anyone should happen to believe that once again the FBI Super Cops have saved the day, so be it.
“Do you remember what those German agents told us last year?” Roosevelt said. “About Hitler sending them because he wants to bring the war to American’s backyard?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I would say that he’s done it,” Roosevelt said. “Wouldn’t you?”
Hoover did not reply. He shifted in his seat, suddenly feeling the sweat in his palms.
Roosevelt looked at Donovan, who was more or less intently studying a fixed point on the finely polished hardwood floor.
“Bill, I apologize to you and to
Edgar about how this discussion has transpired. My intention was not to put anyone on the spot.”
Donovan looked at him and said, “No apology necessary to me, Mr. President.”
“Nor to me, sir,” Hoover added. “You have every reason to be concerned.”
Roosevelt shook his head. “The headlines are bad enough, but every time a light flickers in the White House, Eleanor thinks it’s the end of the goddamned world!”
Hoover looked at the President, saw the toothy smile, and found himself grinning, too.
Donovan chuckled softly.
“Mr. President, it isn’t that we’re not pursuing the German agent angle,” Hoover offered. “For example, we have agents reinterviewing Dasch and Burger.” He paused. “Very simply, sir, we are checking and rechecking everything.”
Roosevelt nodded solemnly. “I understand. But we have to do more. Which is why I asked you both here. Edgar, I want you to know that Bill’s agents will be working on this, too.”
“In my area of operations?” Hoover asked, glancing at Donovan.
Hoover saw that the look on Donovan’s face could have shown that this was the first that he had heard of this plan. Or it could have shown that he was expertly hiding the fact that he had heard of this plan a day or a week ago.
Roosevelt went on: “They will be using their network of agents to see if they can uncover any intel as to who is making these attacks. Your agents will share any information that is asked of them.”
Like hell they will, Hoover thought.
Hoover said, “Yes, Mr. President.”
“As I said, we have to do more. This cannot continue. Especially now that it has become personal.”
Donovan and Hoover looked at the President.
“In Dallas,” Roosevelt explained, “they bombed the USO lounge.”
“Yes, sir,” Hoover said, but it was more a question than a statement.
