 proud lay we hail New York City where the American stage begins here is another program with a cast of outstanding players public service time has been made available by the station to bring you this story as proudly we hail the United States Army is a story of the detectives in uniform who protect the United States Army and its personnel both here and overseas from criminal intent proudly we hail the officers and men assigned to military police criminal investigations office of the provost Marshall Faris command our first act curtain will rise in just a moment but first go that's the world's most exciting word to a paratrooper the last thing he hears before hitting the silk and go is almost the best way to describe the paratroopers one of the newest most exciting branches of our army men of the airborne are always on the go they lead the way with a battle record second to none now if you're between the ages of 17 and 34 and otherwise qualified this crackerjack army outfit is now open to you yes you can become a paratrooper with all the troopers special benefits for instance that extra fifty dollars a month for paratrooper duty in addition to regular army pay and you'll get only the best in training and equipment when your training is over you won't need anyone to tell you your good you'll know it those jump wings and airborne insignia will flash it to the world visit your local United States Army recruiting station today join the army paratroopers go today and now your United States Army presents the proudly we hail production black market money in those first years after world war two the United States Army of occupation in Japan went about the job of bringing peace and democracy to the shattered remains of the land of the rising sun but although the warlords had been defeated the army soon found itself facing a new kind of enemy in Japan this enemy was the black market whenever basic items of civilized life food clothing medicines fuel are scarce there are always a few men who have them for sale at a price but even the underworld merchants of the black market have to buy their supplies and in the first post-war years the Japanese black marketeers preferred to deal in a currency good anywhere in the world the US dollar Japan's economy was threatened so an order went out to the provost marshal barry's command the order break the black market my name is Miller warrant officer Daniel J. Miller I'm a military police criminal investigator assigned to the provost marshal's office occupation headquarters Tokyo this is case number 3516 it was 1600 hours on the afternoon of May 17th an American named James Clark was calling on a tractive woman named Sonya Borovsky he was a Japanese citizen of white Russian ancestry who lived in the fashionable Shinkuku section of Tokyo Clark was a civilian but not an ordinary one he was attached to a special salvage unit of the Army of Occupation in Japan yes who is it oh just a moment he works so hard let me fix you something to drink well look I didn't come here to drink what do you mean by that I want some questions answered right now why Jimmy darling you're upset what is that I you know what's the matter I've owned you three times today you didn't add so once I want to know why now Jimmy you know how busy you're not explaining that thing now stop talking Jimmy how are you hurting me I'm sorry I'm so much about your son yet when you don't answer my calls when I'm losing I go off my rocket oh I'm sorry too darling now sit down and tell you all about it all about what oh whatever is worrying come on sit down there isn't that better now I will fix you a drink well there is there is something that's been worrying me here is your drink darling just the way you like it is about money isn't it what makes you say that I'm not blind you I've been spending a lot of money on me too much for that all those presents this party don't you worry about me baby all I need is a good break and we're all set those are just words Jimmy you are a civilian technician your salary is not bad but you know and I know that you will never be a rich man and since I happen to be fond of nice thing expensive thing what do you mean there is no reason why you should not be rich Jimmy I know a way for you for that to make all the money we want I look at it's dishonest I don't want to see me don't be silly I would never do anything like that all right what is it I I cannot give you all the details now why not I have to see somebody about it but don't worry it will be all right I would be awfully grateful to your Jimmy darling oh 1710 Clark left the Barofsky woman's apartment and went to his hotel 1730 Sonya Barofsky left her apartment took a rickshaw to the Ginza section in downtown Tokyo on the Ginza she got out headed west down one of the side streets she stopped in front of a small shop that stood between a rundown restaurant a noble Japanese movie theater the shop specialized in fancy oriental teas and other delicacies it was run by a new russian Japanese named Oshimura the Barofsky woman headed the shop went straight to Oshimura's office in the rear of the store oh the beautiful Sonya is here you are late sit down please I am just sampling some tea from the new shipment it is a young high son from Kimon the little tender leaves from the tip with just a trace of Jasmine would you care for some no thank you you know I do not like that stuff you should try to acquire a taste for fine tea in Nippon it is an art have you never seen each annoy you ceremony no matter have you seen our American friend Clark he was with me until a few moments ago good will he cooperate cooperate I'm sure he will comrade good the party will be grateful May 24th or 900 a week later I received orders to report to major Williams the CEO of our military police criminal investigation detachment I met with my partner master sergeant Murray Harris major Williams office and I each he building occupation headquarters here both of you take a look at this matter these markers show special arrest points you'll notice that they're all clustered around the Ginza area Japanese civilians that's right same charge every time illegal possession of US military payment certificates we've run into this before sir true but never like this we had three times as many arrests last week on this charge as we ever had in a week's time before bartenders club operators basket beggars street merchants gashes rickshaw boys all kinds of people all of them with big wads of NPCs Japanese police are helping in every way possible but we know there are plenty more that we don't catch what are those civilians want with military payment certificates only armed forces members and few of our civilians are permitted to use them what about the color changes sir we've been changing the color of that GI money regularly and calling it in for exchange anyone is afraid to turn it in is stuck with well you're right both of us as occupation currency NPCs are good only at certain military establishments we make it tough for anyone caught illegally possessing well then what's the deal sir well as a group in Japan out to round up all the NPCs they can checkups and no checkups sounds communist inspired that method of operation is something like this as best we can figure it the contact members of the group will offer a GI say $125 in Japanese yen for $100 worth of NPCs now there are enough of our boys who don't think twice who sell their NPCs then the contact man takes his cut then the NPCs are passed up the line how can they make any profit sir the whole thing doesn't make sense I will as soon as this outfit gets his hands on NPCs they convert them into a face value amount of US dollars no more checkups then they buy scarce supplies outside of the country with dollars and smuggle them into Japan then they sell them at fancy prices discredit the whole occupation they could clean up as well as make us look ridiculous sir how do they convert the NPCs to dollars well we think they have a front man of some kind an American someone who's entitled to handle NPCs or who draws his pay and so that means all the armed forces stationed around Tokyo not to mention the civilians attached to GI outfits that's right Miller intelligence has prepared a list of all possible suspects and broken it down into sections go to it I looked at the list because as big as a telephone directory we get busy we check out the names in the list asking questions looking into any unusual business deals by Americans no positive results reports came in that the black market was starting to boom by anything you wanted rice to penicillin if you had the money meanwhile the rest of Japanese civilians and GI piled up as routine investigation continued a nightclub operator in the Akuska section was pulled in with three thousand dollars worth of NPCs in his possession two GI's were caught selling NPCs to a Japanese woman the search showed the woman had fifteen hundred dollars worth of NPCs in her possession we rechecked our list including all the American civilians on it we checked fingerprints with the FBI in Washington we questioned all the Japanese we'd arrested then on June 21st it happened we got our first break I got your message Dan what's up we had a call before civilian named James L. Clark engineer technician attached to a salvage unit he was seen making a deposit of nearly five hundred dollars worth of NPCs in his bank account here Clark Clark yeah I remember him we checked him he gets his pay and military payment certificates and deposits nearly all of it but the bank told me his average balance was never more than around fifteen hundred I think you got a bump tip I'm not so sure oh spot anything we've been working the wrong angle Clark's average balance is only fifteen hundred but you should take a look at the transactions through his account as fast as he puts MPCs in he takes them out yeah right checks payable to a bank in San Francisco where he's gotten the count the bank in San Francisco gives him full face value credits in U.S. dollars but why two bank accounts so we can write checks payable in dollars in San Francisco big checks how big he's transferred more than a hundred and fifty thousand dollars from his account here during the past month wow that's pretty good for a civilian technician you're right it's too good you're listening to the proudly we hail production black market money we'll return in just a moment for the second act for you young man with your eyes on the sky and your feet on the ground here's the chance you've been waiting for the army is rapidly expanding its aviation program you can now enlist directly for top jobs in the field of aircraft maintenance now this is an exclusive offer it's open only to graduate aviation repairman and mechanics as an aviation specialist you'll have special advantages take advantage of this unparalleled opportunity in aviation maintenance your army service will make you a better repairman or mechanic and it will prepare you for a brighter future in aviation visit your local recruiting station today find out from the friendly recruiting sergeant how you can better yourself by enlisting in the army directly for the aviation program you're listening to proudly we hail and now we present the second act of black market money 21st 1100 we started to check further on James Clark the civilian technician we took a radio Jeep went into downtown Tokyo we passed the emperor's palace in the imperial hotel pulled up outside the big white building where one of the largest American banks maintains the far east branch went into the manager's office he was a middle-aged man from Los Angeles named Regan he'd been in Tokyo before the war now he'd come back again to his old job we questioned him about Clark more I can tell you gentlemen you have all the information we have about his deposits and withdrawals are you sure there's nothing else anything at all no well yes yes now that you mentioned it there was something it didn't sound very important really I'll tell us anyway sir it's the paper they came in paper yes every deposit made by Clark has been neatly wrapped up in a piece of green paper regular little package do you have any of this paper sir yes a matter of fact I do stiff green paper with little silk threads second here yeah here it is Clark made a deposit this morning 500 mpc's I believe yes sir may I see that green paper yes sure but I don't know what you're going to find out from a blank piece of paper I never can tell sir we might even find out how an ordinary technician gets hold of a hundred and fifty thousand dollars 1130 we checked in with headquarters orders went out to place the suspect James Clark under surveillance 1140 we turned the piece of paper we had gotten from the bank manager over to the laboratory and grabbed a quick lunch at our desks while we waited for the lab report we checked Clark's security file Sonja Borowsky's name was mentioned in it I started to check on her record with the Tokyo police and Sergeant Harris went out and came back at 1300 with the lab report what's the story well paper's not Japanese Dan it's Chinese expensive stuff probably came in from Hong Kong where did Stevens get hold of it and they told me this paper is used to wrap packages of a fancy brand of tea tea yeah Chinese tea special blend there's only one shop in Tokyo that handles small place run by a guy named uh Oshimora near the Ginza funny setup isn't it sure is every morning for a month Clark deposits a bundle of NPCs every morning the bundle is wrapped in that green paper and the paper comes around packages of Chinese tea hmm you suppose Clark has acquired a taste for fancy tea I don't know maybe he's acquired a taste for a lot of fancy things like lean he seems to have the money for it suspect James Clark was picked up for interrogation he refused to answer questions about his financial affairs 1430 he was released an investigator was assigned to follow him Clark doubled back and forth for a few blocks then he headed for the Borowsky woman's apartment you can hear me now turn it off all right now look what you've done you're scratched who cares it was driving what is the matter with you coming in here like me I was questioned just now by the military police that's what's the matter oh that's very funny it is is it nothing to laugh about they've been making arrests all week long they know something don't be ridiculous it's just routine routine I tell you they know what do they do what do you want from me I want out I'm tired of running all the risks while you and Oshimora sit back and rake in the dough oh no darling there's no need to get excited I'm through Sonja I'm finished no more Jimmy Jimmy darling listen to me Oshimora called before he says he had collected enough NPCs to make one last big deposit don't just see it just one more deposit and we can quit I will pick it up from him right now I will meet you at the bank there is still time yeah it'll never work of course it will work right after I meet you at the bank I will go to the airline office we will fly to Hong Kong tonight the three of us we will be rich we will live like kings what about Oshimora oh he's an old man old and tired he doesn't matter it will just be you and me Jimmy darling what do you know five the trail is getting hot Clark left Sonja Borovsky's apartment went to his hotel he ordered the house boy to pack his bags and he went out again 1415 Harris and I took up positions in a stakeout across the street from Oshimora's tea shop 1430 we got the word on our radio that Sonja Borovsky had left her place you think the Borovsky day will hit here can't tell if she does will spot her yeah Oshimora seems to be doing a big tea business in there lots of people going in and out yeah but Oshimora's business isn't necessarily tea hold it a minute what gives let me have the binoculars yeah yeah it's her all right Sonja Borovsky coming down the street toward Oshimora's place yeah I see her now who a real dish she's turning into the shop here take the glasses watch the door I'll check in 1440 the Borovsky woman left the tea shop he was carrying a large package wrapped in green paper he headed across town to the bank he followed her in a jeep outside the bank she met Clark handed him the package he made it inside just before closing we check with the teller when he left he had deposited over a hundred thousand dollars worth of military payment certificates we checked in with headquarters again Major Williams ordered Harris to tell Clark I was to stick with Sonja Borovsky went to the airline office where she made reservations on the 2015 flight that night to Hong Kong then returned to the tea shop picked up Oshimora and went to her apartment it was now nearly 1600 I contacted Harris by radio Clark had returned to his hotel picked up his suitcases checked them at the desk saying he would call for them in an hour it was nearly 1630 Clark arrived at Sonja Borovsky's place at 1640 he went inside I waited downstairs for Harris I tried to get here as quick as I could got tied up in that bridge traffic oh where's Clark upstairs came in about five minutes ago eh shall we make the arrest not yet I want to check again with headquarters before we take them something doing right the Borovsky woman stopped into the airline office to make reservations on the flight tonight to Hong Kong that figures we didn't figure all of it is a copy of a reservation order notice anything funny about it I see what you mean we'd better contact headquarters and fast oh mr. Clark you have made the final deposit and uh transfer the funds yes the money's on its way to join the rest and sentences no that is wonderful Jimmy darling we're rich yes uh now we can conclude our business agreement and you will write me a check for the full amount three hundred thousand dollars I believe and with the dollars we can buy more of the materials for our business enterprise here when do I get my share Arshamura have you forgotten our agreement you will be paid in Hong Kong as soon as we sell the goods bought with these dollars oh this is no time to worry about such things Jimmy let me fix you something to drink why can't I have my share right now that is impossible mr. Clark that money represents an investment well maybe so but don't forget that it's in my name in the states I'm the only one who can touch it that is true mr. Clark but if you try to keep that money for yourself the military police will be informed of all the details concerning your part in this matter you wouldn't you'd only lose the money that is very true but uh when you gamble for a high stick it is uh as you say all or nothing yes let us think of pleasant thoughts mr. Clark there will be plenty for everyone your share of the money it is only one hundred thousand dollars now and when we buy goods with those dollars and sell them to those who will meet our price your money will increase many times perhaps to half a million think of it Jimmy half a million dollars give you the check Jimmy half a million there is one desk drawer I will get here it is use this table mr. Clark to write the check yeah sure there you are thank you mr. Clark you are a man of your word now what about the reservations reservation sure the plane tonight you made them for the three of us didn't you oh I did not know what you meant oh yes darling I made them this afternoon you know I think we ought to have a toast to celebrate life is going to be very different yes uh it will be for all of us very soon are you expecting someone my dear no of course not I'll answer it yes James Clark yes military police here are my credentials we'd like to ask you some questions now look here I don't have to answer any questions I've already talked to the mp's sorry mr. I'm afraid it's pretty important now get out or I'll throw you out I wouldn't try that mr. we're not just making a pinch we're saving your neck what are you talking about don't listen to them Jimmy you're supposed to leave with them tonight on the 2015 flight to Hong Kong all right suppose I am I'm a civilian what's it to you just this mr. you're not scheduled to make that flight this is ridiculous I demand my right right down go ahead talk this woman made plane reservations for Hong Hong all right but she only made two two yeah one for her one for Hashemura they were planning on cutting through Hong Kong right into the heart of communist China you were scheduled to stay mr and I doubt if they plan to leave you around to talk you know too much it is not true they're lying we're not lying here's the carbon copy the reservation slip sleep for yourself told her I didn't want to do anything to solid she said it would be all right I'm sorry she was wrong James L Clark Sonja Borovsky and the team merchant Hashemura were arrested Clark confessed they were tried in the US Provost Court in Japan Clark was given a five-year sentence on September 17th at the conclusion of the trial Sonja Borovsky and Hashemura were sentenced to 15 years apiece the dollars Clark had collected by transferring his illegal funds to place in government custody the arrest and conviction of these three led to other arrests the illegal traffic and military payment certificates and the black market and scarce goods was broken if you're a specialist there's a wonderful job waiting for you in the United States Army and if you're not a specialist the army will give you specialized training in a technical field there are hundreds of jobs open and ready for you to enlist and take over check today with your local United States Army Recruiting Station this has been another program on proudly we hail presented transcribed in cooperation with this station proudly we hail is produced by the Recruiting Publicity Center in New York for the United States Army Recruiting Service this is Mark Hamilton speaking inviting you to join us next week at this same time for another interesting story on proudly we hail