IWCF 062 Tour of Duty

I was a communist for the FBI. Starring Dana Andrews in an exciting tale of danger and espionage. I was a communist for the FBI. I was a. Communist for the FBI. From the actual records and authentic experiences of Matt Svetik, come many of the incidents in this unusual story. Here is our star, Dana Andrews, as Matt Svetik, who for nine fantastic years lived as a communist for the FBI. Travel may be educational, but it's expensive, too. I did a lot of traveling for the Communist Party, and I learned a lot, too, most of which I'd like to forget. As for the expenses, you can make a deal with the party. They'll foot the bills in return for your services, your soul, your self-respect, and some of your blood. This is the story of one all-expense tour I took for the Reds. In a moment, listen to Dana Andrews as Matt Savatic, Undercover Man. Undercover Man. Now here is Dana Andrews as Matt Svetik, undercover man. This story from the confidential file is marked. Tour of Beauty. The Red Seesaw was operating again. And this time, I was on the end marked up. Only a few days ago, I was just another party worker, groveling at the clay feet of the Kame gods. But now, now those hollow idols were inviting me to share their pedestal. A dubious and dangerous honor, believe me, to bring a job I had to do. And I only had a moment to complain about it. Speaker? Speaker, this is Red. Where have you been? We've been trying to find you. In conference with the National Board. National Board? Yeah. I'm one of the. Anointed ones, Speaker. They've chosen me for a top-secret mission. Doing what? The good comrade Bodine and I are headed for the Caribbean area. What's it all about? The party's invested in a bloodless revolution down there. We're going there to check on the progress that's been made, to see if it warrants more investment. I don't like it, man. Can't we hold you somehow? No. I want to go. If the commies are building nests that close to us, it won't hurt to know more about them. Okay, chum, but be careful. You're going a long way from this office. Nothing quite as blue as the Caribbean, is there, Comrade Bodine? Look at it down there. Soon, soon, Comrade Svetik, this section of the world will be more red than blue. Yeah, if our little project hasn't been squelched. No, no, Svetik. We have too much money invested in it to think defeatist thoughts. You can't deny that the island's new administration has. Done a lot of good. A feeble imitation of the worst aspects of democracy. But they have put the country on a pretty stable basis. They've cleaned things up. They have set some tough security measures. And the way that security office has been operating, you know, what, General, what's his name? Fuentes. Oh, yes, Fuentes. The way that boy's clamped down on corruptions. I just don't see how we'll be able to claim any progress. Well, Svetik, let's wait and see. Let's just wait and see. It wasn't exactly a luxury trip, but it typified the commie operation. The party line was being extended from America to a tiny, struggling Latin American republic. First by chartered plane to an outlying island, then by fishing boat. Into the harbor. then by car to the center of town, and finally by taxi to the best hotel in the capital city. Always the right people in the right place at the right time. The lobby of the hotel was bustling with activity, the tourist crowd. But our reservations were there for us. We signed the registry, then waited while the clerk went looking for a bellhop. But it wasn't a bellhop who appeared. May most humble pardon, senores. What is it, officer? It is most regrettable this inconvenience to an American neighbor. What's he talking about? What inconvenience, officer? What's wrong? This warrant for your arrest. Arrest? Are you sure you have the right people, officer? Senor Sverig and Senor Bourdain. My orders come direct from General Fuentes himself. What's the reason for this arrest, officer? I carry out orders, senor. This warrant is reason enough... If you will come along with no further objections, please. Now, wait a minute. Come on, Svedek, don't argue. Hey, officer, what's it all about? Aside, please, aside. I'm from the Globe News Service. Say, do you fellows know what General Fuentes wants with you? Come on, officer, let's get out of here. No matter how I tried to figure it, it didn't come even. How did General Fuentes know we were there? We were taken directly to the presidential palace. and led through massive corridors to the wing that housed the internal security department. Finally, we were ushered into a huge, paneled, and over-decorated room where our police escort left us. A few moments of waiting, and then.... Buenas noches, amigos. Buenas noches. You see, you are welcome here, amigos. Congratulations, General. General. The plan was executed perfectly. Gracias, comrade. Now you see, huh? The party has nothing to worry here. Nothing to worry. All right. Go ahead. What's this all about? Oh, of course. I'm sorry. General, Comrade Svedek is my assistant. Ah, bueno. Svedek, this is the leader of our movement here, General Fuentes. Fuentes? Well, what is. Look, Comrade, his face. Don't look so stunned, Svedek. I told you the party has the right people in the right places. Who could be righter than the most trusted member of our opposition? Oh, si. The commie idea of a joke turned the most beloved, respected national hero into a traitor. Use the man who'd been trusted to stamp out corruption and subversion to sell out his own government. Fuentes seemed to enjoy the vicious paradox of his double-headed politics, but he didn't enjoy being questioned about it He was far from pleased with Comrade Bodine's meticulous examination of his books, files, progress reports. You will notice here, Comrade Bodine, that the military is well sprinkled with red sympathizers. Key positions, all of them. I see. What of the press? Oh, si. Here are newspapers. We pay over 50 staff men for their sincerity. Why staff men? Why not the editors? Senor, you expect too much too soon. So do you, Fuentes. The American Communist Party has been extremely liberal with its contributions. We cannot find allies with peanuts. It takes money and time. General, Comrade Bodine, let's call it quits for tonight. We're all pretty tired, nervous. Maybe tomorrow... But if. My efficiency is being dotted, senor. General, tomorrow. Start again tomorrow. I managed to placate the two disgruntled conspirators... And. After Fuentes arranged an official release from our arrest, Bodine and I headed back to our hotel. The lobby was practically deserted, bearing all the. Marks of the middle of the night. Scrub woman mopping the floor, rug rolled back, a sleepy American couple lounging on a sofa near the elevators. There they are, honey. Right there. Oh, yep, right. Oh, uh, would you excuse me, gentlemen? My name is Ed Bailey, Globe News Service. This is Mrs. Bailey. I'm very happy to. I'm sorry it's late. Perhaps tomorrow. Oh, no, no. Wait a minute, will you? I was here when you were hauled in. You know, when General Fuentes makes an arrest, it's usually... Not this time, Bailey. You and your wife better go to sleep. Ed had his office do some checking. Tell them, honey. Yeah. Well, I did find out that you two were pretty active politically back in the States. If the General had any reason to arrest us, we'd still be in his custody. Come on, Stacey. Hey, just a minute. Let's hear him out, Bodine. Look, gentlemen, my job is collecting news, not political hocus-pocus. I don't care what side you're on, just so long as the fight makes headlines. Oh, Ed doesn't really mean all that at all. He does have ideas. There's probably a good reason why Poet is let two sworn enemies go free. Now, if you can give me a lead, I'll make sure your name isn't mentioned in the story. Good night, Mr. Bailey. It's late, Svedek. You need your sleep, too. Yeah. Okay. Good night, Bailey. Bailey didn't know how close he was to changing one small nation's destiny. If I could help him get that story, if he could publish the truth behind this rotten sellout, The revelation would seal off all commie inroads and expose Fuentes and his tribe of traitors. But I couldn't help Bailey now. Not now. Not without putting myself on the party's chopping block. I didn't realize till the next day in secret conference with the general just how crowded that chopping block might be. Well, that's enough for now, comrade. Oh, by the way, do you know a newspaper man named Bailey? Bailey? Bailey. No, no, senor. An American reporter, Globe News Service. I, uh, I want you to get rid of him. What? Oh, Dean, you're out of your mind. Bailey's curiosity is a distinct threat to our movement. I want him eliminated, Twenties. You're being foolish, Comrade. No, practical. If anything happens to Bailey, the American government will demand an investigation. That would turn the spotlight on us, on our work, the parties linked with the generals. Si, si, Severick is right. No, I cannot do this, amigo, not now. Not until our position is more secure. You'll do it, Fuentes. My judgment says Bailey is a threat to the cause. It's settled then, isn't it? Isn't it? There was no sleep for me that night. Just tossing and turning and thinking. Trying to build a scheme that would keep Ed Bailey out of any of Bodine's death traps. But when a man's life is at stake, complicated strategies become ludicrous. The direct approach becomes the only approach. I slipped out of my room and headed down the hall. I paused a moment at the door to Bodine's room. Listened. All quiet. Good. It was the way I wanted it. The entire hotel was quiet. Heavy with sleep. Bailey's room was just down the hall. Bailey, I'm sorry to. No need to apologize, Sven. Come in. Bourdain. What... What are you doing in. Just waiting, comrade. Come in. Explain yourself. A good explanation might help you more than an apology. But I doubt it. I doubt it very much. The End. Now back to Dana Andrews starring as Matt Siverik in I Was a Communist for the FBI and the second act of our story. I Was a Communist for the FBI I followed Comrade Bodine into Ed Bailey's hotel room. Bailey was gone. So was his wife. Now the door was shut and locked. And Bodine was waiting. Waiting for my excuses. Waiting for me to talk myself into a trap. The same trap I'd hoped to save Bailey from. Well, Svedek. It's a strange hour to be visiting, isn't it? Yes, Bodine. Yes, it's very strange. What are you doing here? I expect you to answer that question first. Where are the Baileys? Out. Where? Riding. Perhaps you'd like to join them. Where did you send them, Bodine? Mr. Bailey was so eager for an exclusive interview with General Fuentes that I arranged it for him. And his wife? She insisted on going along. Too bad you didn't arrive a bit sooner. You might have been able to warn them. I didn't come to warn them, Bodine. I came to stop you from ruining this entire project with your stupid schemes. Watch your tongue, Svetik. You put Fuentes right on the spot. An act like this is bound to shake the public's confidence in him. That confidence is our greatest weapon. I'm not worried about Fuentes. I. Now, who's that? You've appointed yourself host, comrade. You answer it. Oh, Mr. Bodine. Still here? Uh, yes, Mrs. Bailey. We've been waiting for some... some word about the interview. Oh, Mr. Ed insisted I'm going alone. Hello, Mr. Sevent. Hello, Mrs. Bailey. I thought the General might not like an extra pair of ears at an interview. He gives them so rarely. Yes, interviews like this are pretty rare. I can't understand why he arranged it. For this hour of the night. General Fuentes... is an unconventional man. Funny. The whole thing gives me the willy sort of... Why? I don't know exactly. Frankly, I wish I knew more about. Well, your relationship with the General is so. You don't trust us, Mrs. Bailey. Oh, I don't know. I'm just worried. I hate to admit it, but I'm worried about Ed. Really worried. Pass the sugar, Svetik. Svetik, the sugar, please. What are you looking at? Over there. Mrs. Bailey just came in. So? Alone. Naturally. It looks like she hasn't slept a wink. Poor woman. The sugar, Svetik? Yes. Thank you. I've been looking for you, too. Good morning, Mrs. Bailey. Sit down, Mrs. Bailey. Join us. Ed hasn't come home yet. I haven't heard a word from him. It's funny he didn't let you know. It isn't often the reporter gets an interview with a man as colorful as General Fuentes. Perhaps... Have you called Fuentes' office? He never got to General Fuentes' office. The news agency checked up. Ed never got there. He hasn't been seen around there, and neither has the generals. That's impossible, Mrs. Bailey. Certainly the general would be. Nobody's seen him or Ed. Something's happened. I know something's happened to him. Now, control yourself, Mrs. Bailey. I'm sure I can reach the general for you, if you like. What do you mean the general isn't available? You tell him that Mr. Bodine is on the line and that I order him to this phone. I say he is available, and I expect him on this line immediately. What? What do you suppose he's up to, Bodine? I don't know, but I don't like it. Medic. What? Start packing. Packing? Now. We're going back to the States. Wait. What about Ed? You promised me... We have our own problems, Mrs. Bailey. But. If you'll excuse us now, we have a lot of packing to do. Bodine's sudden decision to check out worried me. I still didn't know what had happened to Bailey or why Fuentes was avoiding us. Whatever the reasons, they bothered Bodine enough to force him into action and out of the hotel in a hurry. I finished packing first and went to his room to help him with his things. One last look around and we headed for the door. Mrs. Bailey. Mrs. Bailey. What do you. They found him. They found him, all right. They found him. Who found him? What are you talking about? The news agency. The other reporters. They found him. They found him behind the market in an alley. How is he? Did they tell you? How is he? What do you think? He's beaten, broken into. Bits, half dead. Half dead? Yes. He's half dead. Isn't that enough? Are you disappointed? Did you get cheated or did they. Shut up. Why should I? Why should I? I knew you meant trouble and I knew Ed shouldn't... Shut up. I said you. Cut it out, Bodine. Another word. I said cut it out. Let go of her. Let go. Come on, let's get out of here. We got out all right. We took a taxi direct to the harbor. By the time we located our fishing boat and its commie skipper, sirens were wailing in the distance. But once in the boat, we were safe, for no one on that island republic would look twice at a nondescript craft like that one. An hour or so later, we crossed the bay to the tiny outlying island. Soon we were in the air again, headed toward the United States and back to the root of all this evil, the National Board of the Communist Party. Of the USA. All right, Svedek. Let's go in. The board is waiting. Yeah. Comrades, I... You. Buenos dias, amigos. Good to see me, eh? Fuentes, what are you doing here? Look, comrades, his face. What is the meaning of this, comrades? What right has General Fuentes to be here when I. Maybe you'd better let the general explain. Ah, si, si. Senor Svetik and I, we understand each other. I came here, Comrade Bodin, to complain. But then I'd like you to force me into violent acts when the time is not right. You mean the Bailey situation? Si. I agree with Comrade Svetik. To harm this man now is to do damage to our movement in my country. So I state my case to our comrades here. And they agree too, huh? One minute, General. How long have you been here? Oh, I take my plane the night we argue about this, amigo. The military has taught me when you have complaints, do not argue with the bottom or with the middle. Argue direct with the top. You've been out of your country since that night? Si, si. Then how did Bailey get... Bodine. If you will excuse me, comrade. Let's have it, Bodine. Who did the muscle work on Bailey? Comrades. If you please. Let's have it, Bodine. Let go, Svetik. Spuintus wasn't in the country, but Bailey was found half dead in an alley. What about it, Bodine? Come on, talk. Our comrades want to know. Bodine couldn't hold out. He talked. He told the board that he didn't want to trust Fuentes with the handling of Bailey, so he arranged for some local goons to do the job. He felt it was the right thing to do, but unfortunately for him, the board didn't agree. He was reprimanded for his stupidity, while Fuentes and I were cited for our good sense, loyalty to the cause, dedication to the far-flung ideals of proletarian dictatorship, blah, blah, blah, blah. Modine was still being reprimanded when Fuentes and I left, In the street, we started past the newsstand on the corner, but a big, black, bold headline stopped us cold. Not an American red cloth beard? What does that mean, sir? Here, let me see that. Let's see. The brutal beating of American reporter Ed Bailey has unveiled a link between high-ranking officials of this government and the American Communist Party. Ah. I was afraid. I was afraid of that. Found by his colleagues on a report from his wife, Bailey had obviously been left for dead by abductors whom he has identified as communist goons, hired for the job by Henry Bodine, a notorious American red. The party will settle with Bodine for that. The most shocking note in Bailey's story was the revelation that the secret leader of the local communist faction is this republic's trusted internal security. Officer, General Manuel Fuentes. Oh, no, no. That's what it says, General. Oh, but no, they won't believe it. I am the sworn enemy of the communists. According to this, your disappearance is practically an admission. Of your guilt. See? Right down here. Oh, what can I do, amigo? Where can I go? I cannot go back there. That would mean prison, death. Looks like a lot of doors have been slammed at once on you, Puentes. You can't stay here either. You'll be held for illegal entry in the party. See, they will know. They will help me. Wait a minute. Wait a minute, Fuentes. They won't help you. Hey! The party wouldn't help Fuentes now. He was too hot. Wanted by two governments. Completely useless to the commie cause. That door would be slammed in his face, too. So I took it upon myself to open one door for the frantic general. A big door with brass bars. Beaker, this is Red. Well, welcome home. Got all your skin left? Most of it. Can the FBI use a prize prisoner? Who, Bodie? No. The party has its own plan for him. I mean General Fuentes. Is he? Illegally, of course. Is that reason enough to hold him until his government can claim him? Sure. Where is he? Right now, he's being turned down by the National Board. Here's the address. I gave Beaker the information he needed and left the phone booth. It was all over now. The commie plot had fizzled. Bodine would get what he deserved, and so would the general. Ed Bailey bore bruises on his body as a result of all this, and I, I bore them on my soul. You'd be surprised how those scars accumulate when you walk from one maze of red treachery to another. You walk slowly because the scars are painful, and every fiber of your body shrieks for you to stop, turn back. But you don't. You can't. You just keep on walking, walking alone. Dana Andrews will return in just a moment. This is Dana Andrews, friends. The next time you read a critical tirade against the democratic form of government, and there. Are many of them these days... Consider these lines written many years ago. In every government on earth, there is some trace of human weakness. Every government degenerates when trusted to its rulers. The people themselves, therefore, are its only safe depositories. It's nice to know that our government. Is still deposited to our account. In this story, as in all others, names, dates, and places are fictitious to protect innocent persons. Next week, Another fantastic adventure. Join us, won't you? THE END. Bye. Bye.