122
PARTISAN fliVIEW
"The lines," said
I,
"were longer at
Liebe auf dell Ersten Blick."
Hitler turned to his Minister of Propaganda. "Goebbels, tell me:
Der
Volkspalast.
Wasn't that the old Montezuma? Yes, I remember. That is pre–
cisely my point. Even before the film could be shown, the motifs of these
theaters - primitive Aztecs, Egyptian pyramids, Chinese temples: by sug–
gestion they were undermining the racial purity of our Thousand Year
Reich."
"Those pyramids,"
I,
or the devil who had seized my tongue, replied,
"have lasted longer than one thousand years."
Granite leaned forward on his cane, as if without it he might topple
over. What surprised me was the way his voice, though still high and rasp–
ing, had nonetheless assumed the confident tone of a diplomat's. "Herr
Reichsfuhrer, you mentioned that because our assets are in danger of being
expropriated, the board of Granite films has no choice but to offer them
to you on the most generous terms."
"It is the only possible course."
"That is not the case. Not exactly. My government has the means to
retaliate. Secretary Morgenthau has told me that you have the right to con–
fiscate our property, but that German assets worth tens of millions of
dollars might be seized unless we were offered fair compensation. I men–
tion this not to make threats or in order to bargain, but only to point out
that we enter these negotiations as equals."
Here Goebbels stamped his weighted shoe on the stone.
"Morgenthau! Bringing his name into the discussions can only be con–
sidered a provocation."
"I am worried," Granite continued, his little eyes still focused upon
those of the Fuhrer, "that the agreements upon this table do not reflect
such a reality. They are clearly one-sided. The contracts that I will sign as
an officer of Grani te Films have the force of law. They will be enforced by
American courts. I am to give up my theaters and offices and a function–
ing studio. How can I know that what we ask for in return will in fact be
forthcoming?"
Goering responded wi th what sounded like genuine shock. "Are you
questioning the word of the leader of the Reich? You shall have your
three thousand pieces of silver."
Granite: "And what of Magdalena Mezaray? Herr Goebbels gave me
his guarantee that she will be permitted to accompany us to the United
States."
Goebbels put his hand over his hair, which seemed to leave it even
slicker than before. "We do not hold people against their will. Such a
choice is entirely hers."
At those words I could not help myself from blurting out, "Then she
