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Paris - 24 -

With the help of the stationmaster who had originally delayed the train we followed its circuitous journey from one small banlieu station to another.  We checked the contents of the cars in a freight yard near Paris.  There were mostly pots and pans, household furniture, bric-a-brac and other items which were [[strikethrough]] seized [[/strikethrough]] [[inserted]] taken over [[/insertion]] by the Administration des Domaines, a section of the French Ministry of Finance.  Valland's records were accurate and there could be no doubt that she had known by number which of the cars contained the most valuable property.  If she had similar information gleaned during the German stay at the [[inserted]] / Louvre and the [[/insertion]] Jeu de Paume our job in Germany would be considerably simplified.  How could the information be extricated from the one person in France who seemed to know the answer? [[strikethrough]] She kept telling promising to tell me "when the time comes" [[/strikethrough]]
The shipping tags on the cars showed Strasbourg to be their destination; some were being sent to the Wehrmacht and others to the Police Presidents.  The picture became clear at once.  Goering and other Nazi leaders made their first choice; then the remaining objects were shipped somewhere in Germany.  Where? Mlle. Valland kept promising to tell me "when the time comes".
Months later, remembering that the household furnishings in the box-cars were marked for Strasbourg, I looked about that city for further leads.  I learned that some six hundred and seventy-five cars had gone on their way from here to Karlsruhe.  At Karlsruhe the contents of the trains and that of about seven barges brought down the Rhine River from Holland were given to lesser Nazi officials for distribution to friends and bombed-out civilians.  In ensuing months I examined several small country inns and barns near Karlsruhe in which many of these furnishings were stored, but could discover not w orks of art of any real consequence.  The household good had invariably been thoroughly culled over and the better things [[strikethrough]] separa [[/strikethrough]] segregated for more careful handling.
The Army sorely needed box-cars for the trains supplying the front.  After the unloading of the train had been speeded up following my intervention I received the first indication that Mlle. Valland would play ball with the Americans.  We had many American friends in common , and she seemed convinced of my own