SURROUNDING THE PANAMA CANAL
At the present time
"Precisely.
it is
71
not wise to do
much more
than broadcast, but at a propitious time we shall be able to
explain National Socialism to the Panamanians."
He looked at Kohpcke, whose left eyelid droops more than his
him the appearance of being perpetually sleepy.
looked at Neumann.
Kohpcke
to organize a Bund in Panama. In a few
"Tonight we want
right, giving
days
for
am going
I
to Costa
Rica
to organize
another and then leave
Valparaiso."
The
others nodded.
They had been informed
that Scharpp
was
to have complete charge of Nazi activities from Valparaiso to
Panama. That night they established Der Deutsch-Ausldndische
Nazi Genossenschafts Bund, with the understanding that it func
tion secretly. The list of members was to be controlled by
Neumann.
Scharpp explained that secrecy was advisable to avoid antago
Panamanian Government, "which is friendly to Italy
and we can cooperate with the Italian Legation here."
nizing the
Japanese are more important that the
"The
Italians,"
Kohpcke
pointed out.
"The
"But
Heildelk assured him.
Japanese will work with
t be seen with them"
us,"
we can
"Fritz
[Kohpcke] will
call
a meeting in Jacobs
house,"
said
Scharpp.
"Jacobs!"
mean
exclaimed one of the unidentified men.
the Austrian Consul
"You
don
t
1"
Scharpp nodded slowly. "He is generally believed to be antiHis partner spent twelve years in Japan and speaks Jap
anese perfectly. The Japanese Consul knows and trusts both.
We cannot find a better place."
Nazi.
On the night of December 13, 1937, forty carefully selected
Germans who, during the intervening month had become mem
bers of the Bund in Panama, arrived singly and in small groups