This left Bert Schroeder, in charge of the British branch, hard pressed with a greatly depleted staff. Then came the government’s coup de grace. The branch overseer himself, an American citizen, was commanded: “Accept direction to work of national importance, in support of the war effort, or be deported.” Both British and American government officials were appealed to, but to no avail. One member of Parliament not only favored the imprisonment of Hughes, Platt and Chitty, but said that as Schroeder “stirs up trouble and being an ally cannot be interned he should be deported.” It seemed that all the influential officials were ganged up on the Society and its representatives, all agreeing that “Schroeder must go.” An official car pulled up at Craven Terrace and the branch overseer was escorted to the deck of an ocean liner and repatriated.

Imagine the situation confronting Pryce Hughes, still in Wormwood Scrubbs Prison with Brothers Platt and Chitty, when he received news of his appointment as branch overseer to replace the deported Schroeder.