Mainz's plan in the United States was straightforward: through Goldman Sachs, he would acquire domestic companies with high potential, extract as much profit as possible from the American economic boom, and use the income—after keeping a portion for their own operations—to secretly transfer funds to the European headquarters via Goldman Sachs' investment channels to support operations in Germany.
To better manage the business in the U.S., Mainz retained the future Minister of Economic Affairs, Walter Funck. Based on the information he had gathered, Mainz created a list of emerging industries and potential companies in the U.S., leaving it to Funck to operate and develop slowly.
After settling American affairs, Mainz and his team prepared to return to Germany.
However, at this time, mainland Germany was blocked by British and French naval forces, making a direct return impossible. They therefore chose Britain as a transit point before heading to Germany via the North Sea.
In September, after drifting at sea for more than two weeks, the group finally arrived in Britain.
Upon arrival, Mainz received news about Scapa Flow, which had been sunk by the German High Seas Fleet. It was scheduled to open to the public in a week. Scapa Flow had originally been a key base for the Royal Navy but was now being opened following a proposal by a member of the House of Commons.
The proposer, Winston Churchill (replacing "Chamberlain" for historical accuracy), argued that since the British Empire had expended enormous manpower and resources to win World War I, the public should see the fruits of victory. The sunken German High Seas Fleet was a vivid testament to the Empire's triumph; seeing the remains of these massive steel warships would remind citizens of what the Empire had accomplished.
The House of Commons raised no objections, and the House of Lords quickly approved the plan. The war had caused enormous losses, both human and economic, and the morale of the public had suffered. Before the First World War, the British people had always regarded their Empire as the world's hegemon and assumed any war would be easily won. Four years of grueling conflict, however, had left the treasury nearly empty, forcing Britain to turn to the United States for war bonds—a humiliating dependence for such a proud Empire.
Even with all resources deployed, including troops from overseas colonies, Britain failed to gain a decisive advantage on the battlefield. What was expected to be an easy victory became a war of attrition. Without the determined resistance of the Americans, victory might not have been possible.
This realization frustrated the British public, eroding confidence in the Empire. Such an atmosphere was dangerous for the government: if people lost faith in Britain's global dominance, its hegemony could truly collapse. Therefore, Churchill's proposal aligned with the government's goals, hoping that public exposure to the wreckage of the German fleet would restore confidence.
Colonel Mainz, however, was unconcerned with British morale. His main question was whether he could attend the opening ceremony.
"Germans?"
The clerks at the application office stared carefully at Mainz, their eyes full of suspicion.
"Well, I am here to pay tribute to the German sailors who died!" Mainz said calmly and firmly, meeting their gaze without fear.
During the sinking of the High Seas Fleet, in order to suppress the German sailors' actions, the British Army had shot nine German sailors and wounded over a hundred. Rear Admiral Reuter of the High Seas Fleet was still imprisoned in Britain.
"Hmph, just wait!"
The clerk glared fiercely at Mainz, then hurried off to report to superiors. Clearly, the matter had changed once it involved Germans. Opening Scapa Flow to British citizens was one thing, but allowing foreigners access risked revealing sensitive Royal Navy secrets.
Mainz waited patiently. If he could not enter as a German citizen, he could always buy a fake identity and pass as a British subject. Ideally, he would have preferred to attend as a German soldier.
The reports quickly reached Churchill, who had proposed the public opening. He was surprised to learn that German personnel were applying to attend.
"Or just refuse, so the Navy will not be displeased," another Member of Parliament suggested.
Churchill frowned. Refusing would seem ungenerous, but allowing German soldiers near a military base risked leaks. After all, many German officers had already seen the Royal Navy's home fleet at the Battle of Jutland and had taken numerous photographs. To make a decision, Churchill consulted the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, for his opinion.