Lindbergh

Lindbergh is the American ambassador in Berlin whose anticipated judgment becomes a decisive obstacle in the effort to protect Martin Luther. Though he does not appear directly in the cited exchange, Xavier March argues that neither Lindbergh nor Washington will risk the diplomatic progress of détente on the evidence then available; the plan that follows therefore proceeds without notifying him until Luther’s case can be heard.

Position and Role

March invokes Lindbergh as the necessary link between the proposed asylum request and Washington. Luther, a former Foreign Ministry official, fears that approaching the embassy openly could lead to his return to the Gestapo, so he has involved a journalist as a witness. March points out that Charlie now has a story connecting Wilhelm Stuckart’s death, a Swiss bank account, documents, and Luther’s recorded testimony. In his view, refusing Luther after that story becomes public could make the American government’s decision politically damaging.

The Embassy’s Caution

Lindbergh is not present when March makes his appeal, and the exchange does not establish what the ambassador personally believes. Instead, March predicts that both Lindbergh and Washington will require substantially more proof before opening the embassy gates to a man accused by March’s interlocutor of being a possible murderer. He also argues that the Americans may be reluctant to jeopardize the week’s progress on détente merely on the strength of March’s theories. The ambassador thus represents the institutional caution that separates a witness’s evidence from an official decision to offer protection.

The Proposed Decision Process

Henry Nightingale, rather than Lindbergh, agrees to meet Charlie shortly before nine on the steps of the Great Hall. If Luther appears, Nightingale will hear his account and decide whether to take him to the embassy. He promises not to tell the ambassador, Washington, or anyone else about the plan beforehand. Once Luther is inside the embassy compound, higher authorities will determine his fate, knowing that Charlie has a story she intends to publish. Charlie believes the State Department will not dare turn Luther away under those circumstances, but the means of getting him out of Germany remain unresolved.

Significance and Limits

Lindbergh’s role in this episode is defined by expectation rather than direct action: March treats the ambassador as someone who must weigh proof, diplomatic risk, and the consequences of abandoning Luther. The secret arrangement with Nightingale temporarily bypasses ordinary notification without resolving who ultimately controls the decision. The evidence does not disclose Lindbergh’s private response or establish whether he later approves asylum.