The Last Quinn Standing by Thomas E. Simmons

Author:Thomas E. Simmons
Format: epub

Chapter Twelve

Ansel reported in, was assigned a billet, squared away his gear and tidied up a bit. Agent Winthrop had been right. Lieutenant Quinn saluted at least twenty superior officers on his way to the office of Major Ralph Van Deman.

“I’m glad you could make it, Captain.”

“Sir, I’m just a first lieutenant.”

“You were, Quinn,” the Major smiled, “but orders were cut this morning promoting you to the rank of captain. I believe you can pick up captain’s insignia at the base quartermaster. If not, there are several uniform shops in town.”

“Yes sir. Thank you sir.”

“Now I know you’re anxious to begin your leave, but you will be assigned special additional duties to your current assignment in France. As a result, you will spend a week here with me, Captain. Have a seat and I will explain.”

Ansel sat down and tried to hide his disappointment in having a week carved out of his furlough.

The Major began. “Don’t worry, your furlough will be extended plus a week for the time you spend here.” Ansel was sure the relief he felt was visible to the Major who continued, “I suspect that you were told over at State some of the problems both Secretary Lansing and I have faced in trying to wake certain officials up to the need for intelligence. As for the Army, the Chief of Staff, General Scott, refuses to see a need for an Army department of intelligence and said the Army couldn’t afford the funds to create and support one. At our first meeting, he told me that if the British and French already have such good intelligence departments we could simply asked them for information if we get into the war. At our last meeting, he said he was tired of hearing from me. He not only refuses to see me, but ordered me not to contact Secretary of War Baker on the matter. Before you ask, I did not disobey that order exactly. It was through the efforts of a sympathetic general and a certain unnamed lady that Secretary of War Baker approved my assignment here at the War College for the purpose of teaching a little something about military intelligence to the top officer corps. Military intelligence, at the very least should consist of enemy signal interception, code use and code breaking, direct military tactical observation and analysis, counter intelligence, interrogation of prisoners, patrols, raids, secret agents, recruitment of spies and other related activities. Because of a bunch of woodenheaded officials, both politicians and Army paper-pushers, which shall remain unnamed, there is no Military Intelligence Department in the U.S. Army much less the funding to create one.

“It is my opinion, Captain, that we will at some point be drawn into this war. As far as an intelligence organization is concerned, the best that can be done for the present is this. I have talked to Secretary Lansing. He is agreeable to the State Department quietly utilizing the military attachés at our foreign embassies not only as neutral observes, but as intelligence gatherers including tactical analysis.

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