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I remembered what General Koenig had said about the Russians Captain Gardner, who had been at Newark longer than I, and when I went to Washington shortly after Pearl Harbor. He knew who was better versed in what he called the "push-button system", that in 1917 I had served in the Flying Machine Section, US told me afterwards that he did not waste a second after I informed Signal Corps, and that I had been in combat overseas. When he him that Colonel Kotikov had threatened to "call Mr Hopkins". told me there was an assignment open for a Lend-Lease liaison He dashed for the best corner in the terminal building, which was officer with the Red Army Air Force, I was eager to hear more occupied by commercial airlines people, and staked out his claim about it. by fixing his card on the door. A few days later the space was his. "It's a job, Jordan, that calls for an infinite amount of tact to get I was dazed by the speed with which the expulsion proceedings along with the Russians," the General said. "They're tough people had taken place. First, the CAB inspector had arrived. Someone to work with, but I think you can do it." in Washington, he said, had set off a grenade under the Civil Thus I had been assigned to Newark for the express purpose of | Aeronautics Board. He spent several days in the control tower, expediting the Lend-Lease program. I was determined to perform _and put our staff through a severe quiz about the amount of com- my duty to the best of my ability. I was a "re-tread", as they mercial traffic and whether it was interfering with Soviet opera- called us veterans of World War I, and a mere Captain at the age _ tions. The word spread around the field that there was going to be of 44—but I had a job to do and I knew I could do it. The first hell to pay. Several days later, the order of expulsion arrived. A days had gone reasonably well and I rather liked Kotikov. But copy of the order is reproduced in the centre section of this edi- there was no denying it: the Russians were tough people to work tion, a masterpiece of bureaucratic language. with. I had to pinch myself to make sure that we Americans, and not As my remarks about repairing the bomber on time were being the Russians, were the donors of Lend-Lease. "After all, Jordan," translated, I noticed that Colonel Kotikov was fidgeting scornful- I told myself, "you don't know the details of the whole operation; ly. When I finished, he made an abrupt gesture with his hand. "I this is only one part of it. You're a soldier, and besides, you were call Mr Hopkins," he announced. warned that this would be a tough assignment." At the same time, It was the first time I had heard him use this name. It seemed however, I decided to start a diary, and to collect records of one such an idle threat, and a silly one. What did Harry Hopkins have __ kind and another and make notes and memos of everything that to do with Newark Airport? Assuming occurred. This was a more important that Kotikov carried out his threat, decision than I then realized. what good would it do? Commercial Keeping a record wasn't exactly a planes, after all, were under the juris- At this time | knew nothing revolutionary idea in the Army. I can diction of the Civil Aeronautics Board. still see Sergeant Cook, at Kelly "Mr Hopkins fix," Colonel Kotikov whatever about the atomic Field, Texas, in 1917, with his sandy asserted. He looked at me and I could | bomb. The words "uranium" and § thatch and ruddy face, as he addressed see now that he was amused in a grim me, a 19-year-old corporal, from the kind of way. "Mr Brown will see Mr "Manhattan Engineering District" infinite superiority of a master Hopkins, no?" he said, smiling. were unknown to me. sergeant in the regular Army: The mention of "Mr Brown" puzzled "Jordan, if you want to get along, me, but before I had time to explore keep your eyes and your ears open, this any further, Kotikov was barking keep your big mouth shut, and keep a at the interpreter that he wanted to call copy of everything!" the Soviet Embassy in Washington. All Russian long-distance Now I felt a foreboding that one day there would be a thorough calls had to be cleared through my office, and I always made sure investigation of Russian Lend-Lease. I was only one cog in the that the Colonel's, which could be extraordinarily long at times, machinery. Yet because of the fact that I couldn't know the were put through "collect". I told the operator to get the Soviet details of high-level strategy, I began the Jordan diaries... Embassy, and I handed the receiver to the Colonel. By this time the other Russians had been waved out of the | THE "BOMB POWDER" FOLDERS office, and I was sitting at my desk. Colonel Kotikov began a In my capacity as Liaison Officer, I began helping the Russians long harangue over the phone in Russian, interrupted by several with necessary paper work and assisted them in telephoning to the trips to the window. The only words I understood were various factories to expedite the movement of supplies to catch "American Airlines", "Hopkins", and the serial number on the tail —_— particular convoys. As Colonel Kotikov communicated with the which he read out painfully in English. When the call was com- many different officials in the Soviet Government Purchasing pleted, the Colonel left without a word. I shrugged my shoulders Commission, their names became more and more familiar to me. and went to see about the damaged Havoc. As promised, it was Few of the American officers who came in casual contact with repaired and ready for hoisting on shipboard when the convoy the Russians ever got to see any of their records. But the more I sailed. helped Rodzevitch and Colonel Kotikov, the more cordial they That, I felt sure, was the end of the affair. became. It became customary for me to leaf through their papers I was wrong. On June 12th the order came from Washington, to get shipping documents, and to prepare them in folders for not only ordering American Airlines off the field but directing quick attention when they reported back to Washington. every aviation company to cease activities at Newark forthwith. At this time I knew nothing whatever about the atomic bomb. The order was not for a day or a week. It held for the duration of | The words "uranium" and "Manhattan Engineering District" were the war, though they called it a "Temporary Suspension". unknown to me. But I became aware that certain folders were I was flabbergasted. It was the sort of thing one cannot quite —_ being held to one side on Colonel Kotikov's desk for the accumu- believe, and certainly cannot forget. Would we have to jump lation of a very special chemical plant. In fact, this chemical plant whenever Colonel Kotikov cracked the whip? For me, it was was referred to by Colonel Kotikov as a "bomb powder" factory. going to be a hard lesson to learn. By referring to my diary, and checking the items I now know At this time | knew nothing whatever about the atomic THE "BOMB POWDER" FOLDERS In my capacity as Liaison Officer, I began helping the Russians with necessary paper work and assisted them in telephoning to the various factories to expedite the movement of supplies to catch particular convoys. As Colonel Kotikov communicated with the many different officials in the Soviet Government Purchasing Commission, their names became more and more familiar to me. Few of the American officers who came in casual contact with the Russians ever got to see any of their records. But the more I helped Rodzevitch and Colonel Kotikov, the more cordial they became. It became customary for me to leaf through their papers to get shipping documents, and to prepare them in folders for quick attention when they reported back to Washington. At this time I knew nothing whatever about the atomic bomb. The words "uranium" and "Manhattan Engineering District" were unknown to me. But I became aware that certain folders were being held to one side on Colonel Kotikov's desk for the accumu- lation of a very special chemical plant. In fact, this chemical plant was referred to by Colonel Kotikov as a "bomb powder" factory. By referring to my diary, and checking the items I now know 24 - NEXUS DECEMBER 1996 - JANUARY 1997