This Is Your FBI: Espionage

This is your FBI. This is your FBI, an official broadcast of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, presented a public service by the Equitable Life Insurance Society of the United States. Your FBI, you look for national security, and the Equitable Society for Financial Security.

Two great institutions are dedicated to the protection of you, your home, and your country. During the course of tonight's opening broadcast, you will hear from Mr. Pummothi Parkinson, President of the Equitable Life Insurance Society of the United States, and Mr. J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The life's a story of a crime against the nation. S. B. and R. Buying is just like any other city. But Buying has paid so much weight to do so much worse.

And in most cases, that salary is small because most buyers gather almost small bits of information. But when these bits are pieced together in Berlin or Tokyo, the result is a stolen invention or a constant conflict.

That's why it buys ordinary people working in ordinary places. Places like a waterfront where ships can be washed. Places like a factory where parts of a new thing can be copied. Places like a bar where people talk and talk too much.

Well, really, you should have seen. See what's steamer right in the lab, Ray, when zoomed out from no place on a zero. Mmm. Bang. Oh, I'm sorry. Did you get any on you? No, no, no, but it's all over you, June.

Really? Willie. Yeah, I'm sorry. Thousands of apologies, Fairleigh. A million. Oh, look at that. Well, will you wipe it up, Willie, and get him another drink? Sure, sure. All right. Excuse me, young man. They're awfully cute, Juneia, but you're getting a little messy.

Poor by the way. She's something now. Don't cough, warm? Yeah. Well, they got a new one. A bigger. Well, it's the heck of a battle wagon. It must be, you're pretty. Here, is that George?

It is. Well, where's my drink? I'll get it right away, sir. Where was I? You were talking about that battle wagon. Oh, yeah. Oh, let's see. I'll tell you what. Friday morning, you walk up to the top of the street here.

and you'll see the newest battle wagon in the best maybe in a world from demon on a bank. She's just in commission. I, excuse me, sir, it's still jumping on you. Yes, then you'll see a real ship.

Well, then let's drink. No, no, no, let's drink to you. The most beautiful ship. Oh. What's the matter, baby? All right. Oh, beautiful, baby. Oh! Ha, ha, ha, ha! You know you've got it done, eh?

I don't know how you are, banyo. Right back there. Thanks. Excuse me. Be right back. For you, yes? Oh, it's the same. What is, Willie? Those kids, they want to join themselves. I'll be good for people and drink to them.

It's not too much. It's not too much. Say, do you think we don't say you? There's anything. I just think of the same. Let's go. Let's get out of here, George. I'm sick of this job.

OK. There you are. Michael. What about your friend? Tell him. Tell him we'll wait for him outside. That was in January 1943. Early in February, three letters were brought to the attention of the FBI.

Three pleasant letters, typewritten in English. Three innocent letters, and accepted on their way to Switzerland. Three friendly letters containing, among other vistas and formations, a report and description of the newest battleship launched by our Navy.

Come in. Hello, Dan. I've been waiting for you. Well, Chair. Thanks, Ross. You look pushed. Yeah, I am, kind of. Why don't you try hitting me? Hey, early. Are you kidding? I was in bed at 11.30 last night.

But starting at midnight the phone rang every hour on the hour My wife says she wishes she'd marry the doctors to the VNSPI agent my wife's been wishing that for 15 years Did you read those letters from Switzerland then yes?

Very dull if you don't happen to catch the parts printed and secret ink on the back Have they been sent to the laboratory yet? No, they just got here. Oh, we'll send them through Take the printing on the bag. It's in German. Yes not in cold and brown yes no postmark new york city

and i must be a little of henry browns in the small town like new york and it's probably a bit anyway that's my guess we'll take up on a minute wait a few of the laboratory applied as a usually no exactly how much information will be able to pick up exactly when or where he will get it. He knows, of course, that John Boyne movements in general about

how valuable, and he knows, too, that he may get this information from Navy or waterfront personnel. He knows he may be able to figure it up around the dock, but he's never sure just how much information will fall into his eager lap, just when and from just whom. Sometimes it may come accidentally at a nod moment, such as during a practice air raid, a blackout, say, near the harbor

in New York City. Lights out, all lights out. I said, Johnson, find out that bathroom lights. I said, listen, listen, knock out. I said, Johnson, find out that bathroom lights out, all lights out. I told him I was a sombre.

Oh, leaving with the gun. Having trouble? That's where Lippin' Johnson, I hope you would. Yeah. Is he dark now? Now, but I always have to yell my head off. He's a final. And my wife tells me to go and say something about the racemann.

She says, you can't get enough coal. Fire, but some fire. Listen, fix. That's how to sample. People like Mr. Johnson ought to wake up and learn of the war going on. Knock out the very important.

If I weren't awarded, you wouldn't find me out tonight. Want to get him to the difficulty? My kid's home on Liberty. This is his last night. Well, here's the backstone. Not this time, because he's going on a convoy run to Russia.

That's it, who? What is this? Here. And he's leaving tomorrow? Or the day after, kissing imagine. That came back to him. Where was it? Italy. But that was a short run. They just dumped the machinery there.

Half-lane thought that was it. No. But thanks, I think he said it was. Oh, yeah? Oh, uh, how was business at the bar, Mr. Cooper? Well, it's a pretty good thing. Well, I think this will be a short workout, right?

I hope so. Me too. I got to ride a lot of it before I go to bed. Business? No, it's no fun. Oh, you were over there in 41, weren't you? Yeah, fine, honey. Well, good night, Mr. Cooper.

Good night, Mr. Cooper. A spy, you see, can be a very ordinary man. He doesn't have to live in a penthouse and drive a low slung car. He doesn't have to work with a bulging wallet and an exotic woman.

He doesn't have to employ gunland disguised as chauffeur, or secretary, or waiter. He can be a waiter himself, a waiter in a waterfront bar, a waiter with a sick dog, a waiter named Willie Seabro.

As a matter of fact, it's better for the enemy if he is, because ordinary men like Willie Seepeth are hard to track down. So Ross, we know what kind of a typewriter our friend used, and we've had every agent in New York checking on us.

Well, Angela, you're working on it. We are taking the chance that a good percentage of the drivel he writes in English to a twist friend is the truth. So we've drawn up a list of what the man's like, and we're checking that.

Want to be a skier? There you are. Thanks. And speaking right, both English and German fluency. You can get that, of course, just when the language is used in the letters. He's married, has a dog that had distemper recently, and lives near the New York Harbor.

That's just a guess. This is a good one. He probably poses as a great papier in as much as he is an air raid warden. He asked his friend in Switzerland to address him as dear Willie in his letters.

He came back from Europe in the spring of 1941. Wait a minute. Get something? I don't know. I'm looking over this letter you just brought in. Listen to this. I would love to wander through Lisbon again.

Particularly at this time of the year. Lisbon, eh? Yes. He came back from Lisbon in the spring of 1941, Ross. If he's riding the truth, well we've got to take a chance on that. What are you going to do?

Check on everybody who came into this country from Lisbon in the spring of 41. We don't even know the name he came in under. No, but we know what it's handwriting like. And if he came in from Lisbon, he had baggage.

And if he had baggage, he had to declare it in his real name. And if he declared it, he had to declare it in handwriting. Sure, but there must be hundreds of those baggage declarations.

There are thousands of air raid wardens and with dog. Okay. Have a look for a needle in a haystack before? I have. But this time, we're going to find it. We momentarily close the Federal Bureau of Investigation file on the case of Willie Sebring.

We will return to this case in just a moment. It is now my privilege to present the President of the Equitable Party of the United States, Mr. Thomas I. Parkinson. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. You deserve a clear and forthright statement of the reason why the equitable has undertaken the sponsorship of these radio broadcasts. For 86 years this

mutual society has shielded the financial welfare of millions of American families. And whenever there has been an opportunity for the equitable to serve the public interest, we have gladly undertaken that privilege. We believe that no medium, more vital than this official FBI broadcast could be used to bring society closer to its members and those who

may become members in the future. Our business, too, is the business of safeguarding the security of the American family, whether it be through the provision of life insurance protection for your loved ones, or the protection of your homes and property, or the financing of industry to make war and better jobs, or the participation in war-bound subscriptions and other war activities.

In fact, in nearly every form of security other than the services rendered by your FBI, the equitable considers itself your partner and your friend. Through the medium of these radio programs, we hope to let you know the manifold way in which the equitable can serve and is serving you and your community.

Our business is carrying on into the next generation the benefits of savings in this generation. Public service and human relationships. reservation of homes for widows and children, the education of sons and daughters, the security and comfort of thousands of elderly men and women living in retirement, and finally the peace of mind of the American citizen is the mission of our society. And after all, there

could be no closer parallel to the objectives of your Federal Bureau of Investigation. Thank you, Mr. Parkinson. And now we continue with a file on the case of Willie Fibrings, A special agent of the FBI is a business too, but a business unlike any other.

An FBI agent, for example, is a college graduate who has a degree in law or accounting. He must go to school all over again when he enters the bureau. He must be intelligence, observant, and thorough.

So thorough that the notion of examining hundreds and hundreds of baggage declarations will not fail him. Actually, special agents of the FBI discovered that from February 1st to May 5th, 1941, both sailing from Lisbon brought 3,095 aliens and 1,786 citizens to the port of New York.

Approximately 5,000 people. Approximately 5,000 baggage declarations to check. Approximately 5,000 samples of handwriting to check against the handwriting on the letters to switches. The match, the foot salmon, the scrutinize, the sweat over, four over, work over.

Wait a minute. This is God. Yeah. Here, look. You see that M? See that German F? Get the plan of the print here. Here? I think we've got it. I think the laboratory will back it up, but Mr. William C.

Bring is our boy. William C. Bring, ain't I? I'd almost swear to a boss. What's the report on him? He was born in Germany, but he became a citizen here in 1925. That taken the language.

He's married and he's an air raid warden. Has he got a dog? Well, the ASPCA has three dogs registered in his wife's name. I think this follows all the way down the line, Lord. He lived near the harbor.

He works in a barn near the harbor. He's... Come in. This just came over the tell-how, Mike. Thanks. Ross, if Willie Sebring isn't the man no one is. Sit down, Dan. Huh? What's the man?

Sit down. Mr. Hoover sent this over the teletype exactly seven minutes ago. Concluded question, script writing on intercepts this case written by William Sebring. Baggy declaration and a letter to bank written by Sebring. However, insufficient samples to ascertain whether Sebring hand-printed German messages in secret Also, no typewriting specimens are available for comparison.

Not enough proof. I'm afraid not then. Okay. Now what? I think Steve brings the man. I think the two would ask too. So we need more proof. Yes. More samples of his handwriting. And his printing if we can get it.

And typewriter specimens. That's right. Get them and we get seabriness. I'm going to pay a call on Mr. Lillie Stevens. You may scare you. Not this way. His wife rents rooms in their house. I've been instructed to be a rumor.

I'll be a welder working in the Navy Yard. That ought to interest, Willie. Hello. Well, let's say, can I even a room here? Oh, well, I'm sorry.

My wife takes care of that and sees how it's gone. Oh, see you. I don't want to get a room right away. Why don't you try across the street, I've got a room there. Oh, thank you.

I guess it doesn't matter. Same distance in the Navy. I'd require a distance. Well, hello, Arrow, Claude. Oh, uh, do you like going? Sure. Well, not safe. I'll tell you what. My wife was probably biting my head off, but we have a room on the top floor.

Oh, thanks, Ed. I don't want to get in here. No, no, it's all right. Come on in. Well, thanks, Mr. Mm. Hey, bring him. Well, he's a big fan. Dan Braddock, ready to meet you.

Thanks. You know why I'm really giving you this one? No, why? The Navy, uh, I don't get you. Any man who works for the war after that I do what I cancel. Say, you're a real patriot, Mr.

Hey, bring him 100% I put for him. For six dollars a week, this special agent, closing a stand, brought up, well there, rented a room from Willie's Sebring's five. And at the end of the week, that room was worth exactly six dollars and no more.

The agent found that Sebring left the house each day at 3 p.m., went to the bar, came home to supper at eight thirty, went to the bar in the middle. He found that there were two Romans in the house, inside and south.

found the sea-brings spent most of his time in the attic which had a view of the harbor beyond that he found nothing and the letters to Switzerland and stopped. So on the afternoon of the 21st of May Mr. Willy's sea-brings hand was forced.

No, listen, no. No, I said no if you much of get sick again, not be quiet. Excuse me, Mr. Oh, hello, Mr. Friday. Come on in. Sit down. Thank you. Well, still on the night, sir, huh?

Yeah. Well, those new ships probably need very careful work. All they do, but they're honey. Oh, sir. I sneak a picture of one I want to send to my kid brother. He's in the position.

Thanks, sir. Yeah, Mr. Sebring, I wonder, could you do me a favor? Well, I'd be always just glad to show you. I want to send this package to the kids, but I can't address it.

I was wondering if you had a typewriter in the house. You know, I could take up a label. Was that right there? Yeah. No, no, there's no typewriter here. I'll tell you what though, my handwriting isn't so good, but I could print the address for your name.

Well, I'd appreciate it. I didn't know so at all. I could print the address for you, Nick. Well, I'd appreciate it. I didn't know so at all. Slits and requests. That's all we do for death, I mean, one of these days.

Now, who did this go to? Sergeant Fred Braddock. S-E-O. Once again, a handwriting specimen comes to the SBI lab record. and all 5,376 specimens were checked in this one case. But this is the last.

This is it. This is crew, neatly signed by Willie Steigring himself. Only one thing more remains. One missing piece of evidence. One last final proof. A typewriter. Hi, you bliss melt boy. Not everybody at a night, huh?

Well, let me see a message. Well, he'll be back later. But in the meantime, we'll have a little look around without him, huh? You'll see where he... Oh, I'm sorry. You just scared me out of my whip.

I really am sorry. I didn't mean to price him. My name is... I know. You're Mr. Brattard. How do you know? Mrs. Sebring told me. Well, I didn't know you lived here. I'm bored here, but I've been away on a two-week vacation.

Uh-huh. Did you take your typewriter with you? Right. Yes, why? Oh, I was looking for one the other day. Well, you can call this anytime you want. Everybody else in the house, sir. For Mr. Sebring down, huh?

Mainly, Mr. Sebring. At 2.30 p.m. on the 5th of May, Willie Sebring left his house, walked to the corner, and waited for a bus. He never caught that bus because two special agents of the FBI came up, Identify themselves and ask him to go at end of their New York office to answer some questions.

The police say bring smiles. He was a patriot, so he went well. At 3.15 that afternoon he sat in conference room C on the sixth floor of the FBI office in New York. Mr. Sebring, I want to tell you frankly that you don't have to answer any questions if you don't want to.

Oh, I consider it my duty as a citizen, I ask a question. Don't you, Mr. Braddock? We all do. But you understand, Mr. Sebring, that anything you say can be used against you later on.

I can't say? Sure, of course I understand that. If anything I've done it certainly was done innocently. Oh, okay. Mr. Sebring, were you in Lisbon in the spring of 1941? Well, yes, as a sir.

Where were you born? In Europe? Germany? Yes, but now I'm a citizen of the United States, of course. And I'm an aerate warden. I know that. Mr. Sebring, look at this baggage declaration. Did you write it?

Yes. Well, I came back from this one. Okay. Look at this package. Did you address it? Well, yes. Mr. Braddock said it was brother. But I guess Mr. Sebring, look at this letter please. No. Look at the back.

Where the secret ink has been developed. Did you write that? Yeah, because I have a citizen. Buying is just like any other business.

Its market is the enemy. Its merchandise is taught, got the conversation in a bar on a street on a train. In times like this, in wartime, the FBI is more alert, more watch, whenever. It has a tremendous job in force.

in this country, at the endage, is under control. But remember, talks is a merchant-dive, spying, and its markets is the enemy. Thought you'd talk about in a public place may seem unimportant to you, but if it's anything connected with the war, you may be helping spy.

You may be writing a letter to Tokyo or Berlin. Before we close tonight's file, it is our special privilege and pleasure to introduce the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation within Washington, Mr. J. Edgar Hoover.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Your FBI hopes that these broadcasts will help you to know more about the organization which is dedicated to the safeguarding of your welfare and that of your family. through these radio broadcasts, you will not only be entertained by the stories of your FBI in action, but you may also gain a better appreciation of your own personal responsibility

to your family and to the community in which you live. And I want both you and Mr. Parkinson's and old. At speaking for myself and for the whole bureau, I am especially pleased that these messages are being brought to you under the sponsorship of another institution which likewise is dedicated dedicated to the security of the family, the equitable life assurance society of the United

States. Every man, woman, and child in this nation should be alert and ever watchful for the slightest information which might lead to prevention of a crime by all enemies within and without the United States. While our fighting men all over the world are tonight meeting the enemy on land, in the air and on the sea, it is a duty of every one of us to protect

them by guarding the homeland they have left in our trust. It is my sincere hope that these broadcasts will enable you to know more about how to cooperate with your local police officials and every branch of law and Fosement in your community.

I also hope that you will come to know your FBI as a group of men and women who seek no personal glory and who are part of a great ammunition. The incident used in tonight's broadcast are taken from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

However all names used are fictitious, any similarity thereof to the names of persons living or dead is accidental. In tonight's cast, the part of Sebring was played by James Van Dyke, Then by Carl Swenson, and Ross by Jeffrey Bryant.

Others in the cast were Francis Faney, Ellen Lewis, Will Hair, Chuck Webster, Jack McBride, and Brad Barker. The music for tonight's performance was under the direction of Van Cleve. The author was Lawrence McArthur, and your narrator was Frank Lovejoy.

This is your FBI is a very divine production. This is Carl Frank speaking for the equitable life insurance society of the United States and inviting you to tune in again next week at the same time for this is your FBI.

On that work is the American Broadcasting Company.