NAZI SPIES
AND AMERICAN
95
"PATRIOTS"
he bring batches of World Service and other propa
you every time he comes into port?"
Schwinn said sharply. "The visits I pay him are purely
"Doesn t
ganda
for
"No,"
social.
"Do
Just to drink a glass of good
you usually pay
wait a
"Now,
answer until I
German
social visits carrying
he protested.
minute,"
beer."
a brief
"Don t
case?"
write
down
the
think."
stopped typing on his office machine which he had per
mitted me to use to take verbatim notes of the interview and
waited while he thought. After a lengthy silence I added:
I
"You
had a
brief case
on Thursday when you
visited
him."
He
continued thinking for a little longer and then said that
he thought he had had a brief case on that trip.
"But
why do you ask me that?" he demanded. "There was
nothing in that brief
"Sure
there was.
send back to
case."
The
Germany
brief case always contains reports
and instructions from Germany
you
are
you by Captain Trauernicht as well as other captains
of German ships docking here and in San Diego."
brought to
"I
have never taken
reports,"
Schwinn
you ve got
it all
"Suppose
I
off
insisted.
propaganda nor given nor received
and
"Somebody told you something
wrong."
mention a few
instances.
At four o clock on
Mon
day afternoon, March
9, 1936, your beer-drinking friend, Captain
Trauernicht, waited for you at the gangplank of his boat for
social visit. What he wanted was the package of sealed re
from Nazi agents throughout the United States which you
ports
were bringing in your brief case. In due time you arrived and
your
gave
"I
him
don
Then you started on a drinking spree"
know what you re talking about," Schwinn inter
the reports.
t
rupted.
"Maybe I
can refresh your memory. That was the evening the
Captain took a lady from Beverly Hills, to the
first
mate
s
cabin