Also on the photograph were thin white lines with arrows to circles around certain objects and notes describing the items inside: tank off road stuck in mud, cart tipped over blocking road, soldiers moving stalled truck off road.
“Glorious! Glorious!” Goebbels now had a proven case that propaganda could influence a tactical military operation. Perfect also having the right person in Krafft, the authority on Nostradamus, to feed information to the population that would most likely believe and react on these prediction: those superstitious in the French population.
The group in the room was finding it harder and harder to hide their curiosity, something both of the Goebbels could sense.
“Meine Damen und Herren,” Goebbels began, in a tone of his many public speeches, “I have in my hand photographs… photographs given to me by the Führer himself, to show the justification of our work here. You, Ladies and Gentlemen, have made history. Without using guns, without using tanks or bombs, you have slowed the enemy down in his tracks, you have stopped an entire French army! We have used a weapon of the mind to strike fear and confusion into the hearts of the enemy, so that our panzers can blast through what was once thought an unbreakable wall. Staff! My staff! I salute you all! Heil Hitler!”
Goebbels’s staff applauded wildly even though they did not yet exactly know what was on the photographs.
“Here! Take a look for yourselves what out good friend Nostradamus has done, with the guidance of my wife and your assistance. We have completely bogged down the French 8th and 11th armies trying to get to Nancy to support their retreat from Metz!”
Goebbels handed the photographs to Lieutenant Faulk, who then was surrounded by everyone else in the room except for Bettina Meyer, who remained at her post by the phone writing down information from previous calls.
Goebbels moved closer to his wife while taking her hand.
“So, shall we have the raw fish of the Japanese, or your favorite from the Italians?”
Fesel handed Krafft the top magazine and opened it to a page that was book marked by a long strip of heavy black paper.
“Does this article look familiar?” Fesel asked already knowing the answer and what Krafft’s reaction would be.
Krafft’s face turned red with anger. The article was called “Astrological Statistics in Career”, and the author’s name underneath was listed as William J. Morrison.
“This is my work!” Krafft roared. The title, article, and even the pictures used in this March 1938 issue of Popular Astrology was indeed an exact copy of Krafft’s own article which first appeared in the German astrological journal The Meteor in 1931.
“Karl Ernst, I thought you should see this before we begin dealing with the Americans.”
“William J. Morrison… indeed!” Krafft wondered if there was in fact such a man. If there was, then Krafft’s envisioned ways of having him found and beaten – so that this Mr. Morrison would feel the violation, pain, and anger Krafft was feeling now. If it was the matter of the magazine simply translating his article, then putting an Americanized name as the author, then Krafft visualized the firm’s building being set on fire, a fitting punishment for the greatest crime in the publishing business: plagiarism.
“Our project here will not only assist the Third Reich, but will allow you to get revenge on this magazine.” Fesel offered.
“I knew the Americans were superficial in astrology, but I hardly expected them to be thieves. Something must be done against such treachery.”
“There will be, Karl Ernst, there will be.”
Fesel never mentioned the success Krafft’s Nostradamus altered ‘predictions’ had on the French civilian population’s halting the French army trying to head north during the invasion. After Krafft had made his ‘interpretations’, he was simply given another assignment. When the invasion of France finally did occur, all the participants; Krafft, Lucht, the spies, the informers, the saboteurs, and even the soldiers on the front lines were merely given a general “thanks” for a job well done. Joseph Goebbels took full credit for this occult operation.
In Nazi Germany, it was always the Fesels, Goebbels, and the Schmidt-Pranges in party that received the rewards and credits, for they were party members, and the Nazi party had a tendency to only reward and credit their own.
“What will be done, then, in America?”
“We have agents who will submit our articles to their astrology and metaphysical magazines.” Fesel pulled out a list of magazine names and addresses from a nearby file cabinet.
“We will need Nostradamus predictions of a German victory for the Americans, as well as astrological occurrences, planet positions, and any transits that can be interpreted as being very unfavorable for the Americans to enter the war against Germany.”
“That should be easy enough. But would this not look suspicious if the predictions of a German victory comes from Germany?”
“Ah… that is why we are not going to use your name in these articles. The agent in America will submit your articles under another name, so it appears to be from an American astrologer.
Ironically, Krafft did not object to this procedure, or to the fact that someone else would get credit for his work, since the necessities of war changed the conditions.
“Strange how life operates, Karl Ernst, is it not?” Just a few moments ago we are appalled by someone else’s name being on your article, and now such actions are simply a matter of our work.”
“Perhaps. Funny how life is so.” Krafft echoed, however, helping the Third Reich win the war did not take the sting out of his work being stolen by William J. Morrison. Sleazy Americans. It would be a while before his bitterness would subside.
“We need these right away.” Fesel placed a bundle on the table. “Look through some of these magazines, get an idea of what kind of style each of these American magazines have, then prepare your predictions and descriptions in a manner that is fitting for each one.” Fesel’s tone made this sound like an order.
Fesel handed Krafft a notebook, then continued, “I’ll be back later this afternoon to see your progress. Are you ready to get started?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Good. Until then.”
Krafft sat down and began reading the Popular Astrology magazines and saw nearly all of the articles by William J. Morrison were in fact his older works. Once again his anger grew.
Should Krafft ever have access to the author files of Popular Astrology magazine in Chicago, he would learn that William J. Morrison was actually the pen name for Dr. Heinrich Fesel. For the past ten years Fesel had been translating Krafft’s articles to English so these could be published in America – however not for the reasons that he just explained to Krafft.
The waiter returned with a teapot, its decorations appearing to be from India.
“Lord Everton prefers the stars, and I prefer tea. Will you hold the cup please, Admiral Payne?” The Admiral extended his hand and grasped the cup she held out to him. Then she poured the tea, filling half the cup.
“Just a moment, please.” Ella said, while standing up. She then moved behind him and leaned over his left side and stared into the cup.