IWCF 015: Canadian Crossfire

I was a Communist for the FBI. Starring Dana Andrews, and an exciting tale of danger and espionage. I was a Communist for the FBI. You are about to hear a strange story. Names, dates, and places are, for obvious reasons, fictional, but many of these incidents are based on the actual experiences of Matsavetic two for nine fantastic years live as a communist for the FBI. Here is our star, Dana Andrews as Matt Savetic. It was a long time to pretend I was what I hated most, nine years of being a part of the viciousness that is communism. You might have been one of those that sneered at me for being a red. If you are, mister, I'm proud of you. If you aren't, well, then listen. You'll see why you should have. This is my story. This is the story of communism. In a moment, listen to Dana Andrews as Matt Savedic undercover man. Now Here is Dana Andrews starring as Matt Savetic and I was a Communist for the FBI. This story from the Confidential File is marked Canadian Crossfire. Albany Next Stop Albany, Albany. Five minutes, stop, five minutes. I think I'll get off and buy a magazine. Comrade Milly, I'll come with you, Comte treaty. I'll only be a minute. We should stay together, Comrat, for our own protection. You don't want to live dangerously, do you. I was heading for Canada on a routine assignment for the Party as secretary of the Red controlled Slav Congress. I was supposed to organize some new labor sales in Montreal. The FBI had given me the name of a Canadian agent, Ferguson, who was to be my contact. The Commis had given me a traveling companion, a squat MVD man, a Romanian red named mill High who had a sense of humor like an undertaker. It's so funny. I was just thinking of a letter I received, So so my cousin in Romania just died. I only made hundred dollars. Oh brother, what's the method? No fun you both you just cracked it to me. Death just didn't alive. U you had the sensitive, got it? Yeah? Why are you going to Canada? I have a special the son, very specially. But now, hm, my mission is too vital. To tell to an agent of the FBI, what did you say? Don't be offended, comrade. We have the secret police had trained to. Regard everyone as enemy agents. That way we stay out of trouble. No. Oh, I like your comrade. You must visit me a party headquarters. Perhaps we will. Entertaining a few pretty girls. Eh, sure, and discussed the miseries of the world. What is the human you kill me? I would have loved to kill him, but mill I had done one thing for me. He had dropped the hint of something dangerous. MVD agents are always trouble when there are several of them, and on special assignment, it's murder. We crossed the broad Saint Lawrence into Montreal by way of the mile and three quarter long Victoria Jubilee Bridge. At the station, I finally got rid of mill High and made my way through the limestone buildings of the charming city until I came to the Placidarme and the magnificent Church of Notre Dame, the largest of Montreal's countless churches. A white haired man was lounging alone in the right hand opening of the triple arched doorway. I went up to him, good morning, sir, I it is that. Could you direct me to a shop where I could buy forty eight angels? None? That's a very peculiar request. Would you not be satisfied with nine? So would almister Ferguson. I'm mat sveetic. It's my pleasure you've gotten a report on me. I take it. I it's a dangerous work you do. I don't wanna step on any toes, sir, just tell me nonsense. The Canadian authorities will be glad to cooperate with you. Thank you. We'll be grateful to have a look inside the party such as your work will give us. Well. My work here will consist mostly in organizing a bunch of red workers. You'll get a complete run down on who they are, where they are, and so for good. But there's one thing else, something bigger and a lot more dangerous. What's that? An MVD agent arrived from the States with me. He's on special assignment. You know what that means? Hi? His name is mill high five four, about one fifty, dark hair and eyes, last a lot. But his jokes aren't funny. I have it okay, they're I'd better be off before you go. You'd better know what it is this secret police agent mil High is working on. Yeah, you know, I'm pretty sure that he will be having something to do with a certain bit of espionage. Oh have you heard of the Owl's Head Project. No, it's a combined Canadian American development of a new type guided missile. The plant is near here on Owl's Head Mountain. When there's a leak, I a bad one. Try and see me tonight. I'll show you what we've done on the case so far. All right, sir, be careful, lad. Be very careful, Be very careful. Be careful, lad, be very careful. A few minutes later and I was trolling down sent Catherine Street, past the theaters and big retail stores, to a small shop called Serosa's. Inside the back room, i'mant a dozen burly workers and got right down to business. Why, I said, comrades, As you know, I've been sent here to organize you into cells so that you may work efficiently for the party. You are all skilled workers. You will soon find employment in factories and mills. And until they find jobs, comrades, I brought a small fund with me, Comrade ser Joja, as leader of this district, you will use it to help these new comrades until they can help themselves. I understand, of course you knew commrades. Realize that once you have employment, you will pay your dues regularly and contribute as much as possible to the work in this area. Comrade ser Joja's shop will be your weekly meeting place. He will collect your dues and contributions. Comrade, when shall we meet sat. Armage rates at ten o'clock? Call it a social club and find any member not attending. Of course, a few general comments. First, join, join everything, churches, clubs, movements. Get into every group. You can spread our beliefs carefully and slowly until you have control and are able to subvert the group into working for us. Remember you're in a hostile country. You will need front organizations behind which you can work toward our historic mission. For the rest of the day, I talked and explained. Then, after dismissing the meeting with instructions together at the shop the following day, I walked outside with Comrade Seriosia, the store owner and district leader. I was asking him where to stay when mil High came up and solved the problem. This way, course, Comrade, you will stay with me at party Headquarters. Well that's well, but really I could go to a hotel. High ranking party member like yourself should not have to suffer the indignities of bourgeois companionship. But I had dis settled, comrade. That was that I knew my chances of getting away to see Ferguson work for his slims for a while. Party Headquarters turned out to be a church, at least on the outside. On the inside and underneath the empty auditorium was a beehive of rooms, people and activity. This is a little place, is it not. That's an understatement. Come with me that he's someone I want you to meet here in this room. Good evening, comrade Grace, this is met tretic. Come in, come in. Come, mil High tells me you have the secretary of the Slow of Congress. In the United States. That's right. It may welcome you to Canada. Comrade. You're told, of course, that you would stay here. Oh, I see, I really didn't. Have a choice none whatsoever, Coverra. You prefer it here to a capitalistic hotel, don't you certainly? Good? That's quite a place you have here, the center of all our Canadian activities. You ask questions, I don't like that. I'm sorry, comrade. Show comrades Viet you to his room, Comrade mil High, yes, and instruct him in the security or regulations. I wouldn't want him liquidated because of some ignorant mistake. Nice room, small but comfortable. Oh what other regulations? I should know? There are things going on here that you do not understand. Letterally means, so sure, be very careful not to let anyone follow you here. Do not make any phone calls from here. Do not ask questions of anyone you meet here. Do not go into any of the other rooms. All right, good, now, let us go out. And get some supper and some entertainment. They comrade, Wow, who does that belong to? Hmm? Oh, I want to see mister Grys. Is he in his room? Mister yes, mss go right theread he's expecting you. Well that that's when do we call, comrade. Mister She is not exactly a comrade, not a comrade. But she's here and our secret headquarters. Please, Comrade Mett, this is something you would do better to forget completely. Forget it. Not likely. Mil High's attitude only made me more curious about the girl, But for the moment, it had to wait when I could. I shook loose from mil High and his ideas of entertainment and made my way to Ferguson's office. The first thing he did was show me a dozen photographs of workers at the Owl's head protect. We've narrowed down the suspects to these people in the pictures, mister SEVITTI, our thief has to. Be one of those. Mm, no luck. I've keised party headquarters, but no sign of any of these people. We're are the headquarters under a fake church near the French Market, near. The Bonsecour Ay. We've had a suspicion about the place, but no proof. If I can spot your thief there, you'll have your proof. And he must come there sometimes to deliver the stolen documents. Yes, I know you have your own job to do, but keep on the lookout. Were one of her faces in those pictures. I will sir, Do you have anything on a beautiful blonde girl late twenties? No, not that I know of of hand. Why just curiosity so far. I'll keep in touch. For the next few days, I was busy with my organizing of the Red Workers, meeting with them every day at night, Comrade Milhigh saw to it that I was well occupied, but not so well occupied. I didn't see the mysterious blonde girl coming and going on two more occasions. By now I was really curious about her. The next time I saw her in the hall, I took a chance and intercepted her. Uh oh miss, yes, yeah, I speak to you a moment. Why curiosity maybe about what you're a girl. I've been curious about them ever since I was a small boy. Very amusing. Now may I take. Wait, what's all the rest to see? Cameric Gryce. I'm taking something to him as if you didn't know. Now, get out of my way in a second. What is it you're taking, mister Gray said to report anyone asking questions. If I were you, mister, I'd worry for the next few minutes. Now back to Dana Andrews starring as Matt Saveti and I was a communist for the FBI and the second act of our story. I was in Canada on a routine assignment for the party. My Canadian contact for the police was a man named Ferguson. He handed me a tip on a not so routines firing working in Montreal. I kept my eyes open in the coming party headquarters, and now it come up with what seemed to be a dangerous red secret. The secret was blonde and pretty, and very likely to get me killed. At least my fate was in her hands as she went into the room of Comrade Gryce in the underground party headquarters. I waited in the hall until she came out. Well, you can stop shaking. I didn't tell him, sure, thank you, forget it. I'd rather not let me take your home instead. No, wait, look, the only reason I didn't turn you in was so I wouldn't have you on my conscience. I'd rather be on your mind. Just leave me alone, will you. I don't like you were any of your kind. Well, you work for us, you must Do I go home alone? Or do I go back and see mister grind why? She left alone, But as she took a devious twisting route through town, she had me right behind her. Near the Lachine Canal, the blonde turned into a side street and entered a small cottage. I moved to the lighted and open parlor window in time to get a big shot. The blonde was talking to a young toehead whose face was plenty familiar. He was one of Ferguson's suspects in the thefts at Owl's Head project. But I heard made it all clear. You were How many times have I told you never to come here? No one followed being afraid. Besides, I only came to tell you on through. But you can't, Julie. They'll kill me. You know they will turn you. Don't be the authorities for protecting more? Are you crazy? No one just set up what you for? Read meeting them, talking to them talking? What do you mean? One of them questioned me tonight, I tell you, Paul, you have to do something. I won't go to that place again. I can't stop. Now you can. But you're a coward. Haven't you got any courage at all? You know that's a fine way for resisted to talk. Why don't you tell on me? You'd like to see me dead? Go on, tell on me. You can identify my body at the morgue. In the morning. There was more, but I had heard enough. It was time to get my information to the Canadian agent Ferguson. I got two blocks when the darkly grinning shape of the MVD man Mill High stepped into my path. Nice night for walking here coming. Uh yeah, h swell, and. I said night for the beautiful blood. What night, isn't it? You picked their young neighborhood. Yeah, that was a mistake. Come at Mill High. I don't know why you say that, but I guess I have a right up pick any That was so funny you come at. You are so obviously a man who needs the companionship. Of a pretty girl, but who has failed in his search. H you have pride his head, but you will get over it. Come with me. I have been looking for you anyway to fill out the force. M you mean I have two girls waiting for us. Oh well, I didn't understand they had at De Rigo Cafe, but we had better. Hurting comment, I can't join you? What but you must? I can't honestly, Well, I do in an extra girl. It will ruin everything. You have to pick up another man someplace. It's just too late for me. I've got to be at Comrade Soriosia's store in the morning at nine. Well, can't you at least come along for a few minutes, long. Enough for me to say I need to get some sleep. I don't understand your comment. You seem to like something makes me wonder. No, I cover that high. It wasn't very cautious of me, but I had to get to Ferguson. I left Comrade mill High, scratching his head and frowning. I could only pray he didn't become curious about the neighborhood and connect me with the girl and her brother. In Ferguson's office, I picked out the picture of the girl's brother and showed it to the Canadian. I told Verna, I'm not surprised, but how. His sister has been acting as the liaison, taking the documents to the Red headquarter. His sister, so that's the missing link, Professor. She brought another batch tonight. They'll still be at headquarters, so you can round up the ring anytime now. Aye, But we need one thing more, Verna's testimony. That would clinch our case. He can be made to talk, Sir. He's weak and he's scared to death. His sister will turn him in, will she, No, Sir, I don't think so. She doesn't seem to be a Red. She's doing this out of fear for her brother. But she's got guts. She won't talk if she thinks it will hurt him hey, but he doesn't know that Nusser. If we can get him away from her, tell him she told us the whole story. He'd open up like a broken dam. Can you get him alone somewhere we can pick him up. I can drive, sir, but we'd better move fast. Mill High spotted me in the neighborhood of Werner's house. If he connects me with Werner, the reds will cross out Werner's number fast. We'll be waiting two blocks south of the Bunner home, at the end of the street where it meets Lachine Canal. I'll get him there as soon as I can do that. Then in the morning we'll close in on party headquarters. Wait till I've left. Around nine, I'll be going to my organizing work. It's yours for store, and I'd like to be one red who stays out of jail. Yes, what's you me in's hide? Honey? What do you mean by this? It's late? Yeah? Who's your brother? Your business? Now? You get out of here. Get him. I'll do no such thing, and I'll do it. Who's this party business? Comrade? Get your coat at this hour? Are you insane? I said it was party business? Look I don't know you. How do I know you? With a party? Would you prefer the camera Gris and the goon squad? I can arrange in home. Wait, look, I'm sorry, comrade. I was just sure. How about that coat? But why what have I done? I've been a good memorize, told you everything I could steal, like it. If you were a good comrade, you'd give it to the party, not sell it. Get your coat? Yes, of course, I yes. What what are you going to do to me? Nothing? Don't worry. Don't worry. That's all I've done since Paul joined the party. I won't be quiet. You made me a liar and a traitor to my country. Oh the goodness inside of me, it's been squeezed than nothing by your filthy red. Why not tell it to the authority. I can see you. Butcher's murder my brother. Oh no, you're safe. I love my brother. I'll do anything to keep him from harm, very touching, well. Touching or not, if he's hurt by anyone to night or any other night. This Huh? Your sister doesn't like your party work? Oh no? This? How many times do I have to tell you to lay off? No? She didn't mean, gibbet, let's go. It was easy until I got Paul Berner outside. Then as we near the end of the street where it met machine canal, I could tell he was getting uneasy. His eyes got it back and forth. And when Ferguson and his men moved out to meet us, Paul solm, comrade, look please before come on ah ran headlong to the dark waters of the canal. I did the only thing I could and followed him. When he heaped up on the concrete wall of the canal, I tried to grab him, but it was too late. He'd get away if I didn't stop him. So I dove into the icy canal afterward and the neighbor as thirty feet from the bank, I caught Paul and grabbed him. Let go here, let go get you gotta crass, Stop you browsers, booth turtle. Time helou. Come off neck? Mother? You are right. Then? You did any help? Now now here, I start dumping. Give the ladder hand right, guess yeah, put him out, he's here not only held him under, Kelly was unconscious. I guess I don't need some help too. Getting out seen to be done in That was the start of the ball well, I went back to party headquarters. Ferguson went to work on Paul Berner. When I left party headquarters in the morning, heading for my organizing work at the Riogia Store, I ran into Ferguson a block from the church. He was grinning, and I suddenly became aware of the quiet of the street. Aye, you were right, lad. Werner held out until we told him about his sister's testimony. Then he confessed the whole thing. Good. But when are we going to wrap up party headquarters now the police have it surrounded. We were waiting until you were clear. Oh, well, you'll find everyone in the church and all the stolen documents and data. That'll make it a clean sweep. With Werner's story to back it up, we'll smash this spiring completely. Al that Werner's a little annoyed with me. Aye, that he is. But you needn't worry about him telling anything to the commis. No. I guess after testifying again them, he won't be doing much chit chatting with the reds. I'm gonna signal my men to move in now. Want to stay and watch the fun? No, the Red workers are waiting for me. It's a yoursia store. So if you'll excuse me, I'll get on with my business of being a communist in America or our good neighbor, Canada. The job was one that had to be done, and was being done by the Fergusons and by me. Well in my part was different, separate from everyone and everything that was good and clean. There was no recognition, There was no chance to tell my story. There were no friends. My only companions were my deadliest enemies, people sworn to lasting hatred of undercover men like myself. That was why I always found myself walking alone. Dana Andrews will return in just a moment. This is Dana Andrews. The war against Communism is a strange one with many twists and turns, calculated to make you think it's not a war at all. But it is a war, a deadly war against the group whose flauted historic mission is their final goal. That mission is revolution by force, a revolution designed and blood. So, whether you like it or not, the war includes you. Yes, you, mister, and your wife and kids too. It's a war we must win together. Next week we'll bring you another strange story based on the fantastic experiences of Matt Svedik join us then, won't you