Citizen Hughes - Michael Drosnin [179]
“So, lets, for the moment, compare those two. Which government do you think would be the most reliable and lasting?
“It seems to me that the Bahamian situation is very unpredictable due to the recent change in the complexion of the government,” he continued, his racist fears aroused by the blacks’ ouster of minority white rule there.
“I think the Mexican government is more stable, but I have less confidence in our ability to occupy a position of sufficient influence and privilege with the Mexicans.
“In other words,” he concluded, still undecided, already fearing trouble in paradise, “I have pretty well assumed that you felt confident of a very favorable position with the new Bahamian government, whereas, I do not somehow gain that impression in respect to Mexico.”
Hughes continued his Godlike review of the globe, ranging over the map in his search for some suitable refuge, endlessly re-analyzing the possibilities, finding fault with all. He kept coming back to the Bahamas, the last place he had visited before drifting into seclusion.
“In the light of everything we know,” he wrote, “this is the most hopeful and very most realistic possible site for the location of the projects I have planned.
“However, there are many other powerful entities located in the Florida, Bahama, Carribean area, and they present a deeply entrenched powerful force that may not take kindly to my entry into that area. There is no way I can estimate the strength of these competitive entities since we must keep my plans the most religiously guarded secret, or everything will really be screwed up completely.”
Hughes was not up to a clash of the Titans. He was looking for virgin territory he could just walk into and take right over.
“I do know that Baja has been much, much less invaded by rich American projects than the Florida-Bahamas area,” he mused, returning to the invitingly undeveloped Mexican peninsula.
“I want to consider a development in Baja that would be similar to the all-inclusive arrangement Onassis had in Monte Carlo. I dont mean that I aspire to take over the Mexican government as he did Monaco. I mean that I want to make a deal with the Mexicans which would be somewhat similar to the deal [Daniel K.] Ludwig made with the Bahamian government when Freeport was established.
“Please consider the problems in obtaining ‘Empire Status,’ ” he instructed his henchman.
“It has been my hope that we could approach this project, since it is so much more important than even you realize, with a basis of three strings to the bow—the Bahama location, Baja, and Puerta Rico.
“I put Puerto Rico last,” he added, explaining his new addition, “only because it is a little far away for the headquarters location I am seeking, but please dont encourage anyone else to move in that direction because I want to keep it as an ace in the hole.”
Having narrowed the field to three, Hughes reiterated the absolute need for absolute one-man control.
“It just does not work out to have more than one tiger to each hill in a situation like this,” he concluded. “In Las Vegas, everything was fine until the place was invaded by Kerkorian, Parvin-Dohrman, and a few others.”
While Hughes juggled travel plans, he also juggled travel agents. It seemed as if everyone were in on it. He was reaching out to all his key executives, advisers, attorneys, and aides, all of them eager to control the move and thus control Hughes. It finally shaped up into a battle of Maheu versus the Mormons.
Maheu did not want Hughes to leave at all, but if there was going to be a move, he wanted to be at his boss’s side, calling the shots.
First he tried to scare Hughes into staying. Did he really want to go to the Bahamas, where blacks were in control—and out of control?
He sent Hughes a twelve-page confidential report, code-named “Down-hill Racer” to appeal to Hughes’s love of cloak-and-dagger intrigue. “Blood—white blood—will run in the streets of Nassau,” the report warned. “When the axe falls,