Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-03-23

That third
man m & h I
have been a 1zI11171
SPY. II he had NIX. fiChEhiNG
been. the information would be
in Berlin by this time, because
he heard il all. Talking IN low
tone isn't enough when there's
man in the next seat, listening.
The reason i can tell about
these secrets whispered on a
bus IL because the listening
man was better American
than the man who WAS doing the
talking.
He glanced careleSsly Cor so
Il seemedl at the talker. His
ewes fastened on the factory
badge that the man wore, and
he wrote down the number.
Directly after getting off the
bus. he communicated with the
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The FBI works fast. They
checked the badge number. they
investigated its wearer. Before
they were through, they knew
his background, his family, his
friends.
They discovered. incidentally.
that he not only was careless
talker. but that he was-a care
less listener. too. because the
production figures 7 h'a I he
whispered on the bus were
wrong) -
But wrong or not. he shouldn't
have breathed them at all. He
was taken Oft the job he had"
John Bugas, head Of the FBI in
Detroit, concluded. Hes got n
Job now There was wry signl-
ficance in his tone) that I'm sure
is not nearly rs much 10 his
liking"
You hear this confidential
chatter everywhere-the buses,
the grocery stores, the bars, the
street corners. II still goes on,
in spite Of thousands OF posters
and warnings.
IL occurred 10 mo that per-
haps official quarters might be
able TO give an illustration Of
the danger. I went to one office.
All I can say Is that II was In
Detroit. The officer told me,
I'VE are under oath not even TO
talk to our wives. In fact, you
mustn't even say that my office
Is In Detroit" So for that reason
I can't even tell you who the
officer was, or i'm what depart
ment, or what he does.
But on the wall behind him
was a sign. not a gayly colored
one, but q plain piece of paper,
lettered by hand In pen and ink,
evidently made and put there by
the people In the office itself. 1t
read:
WORK IN SILENCE. THE
ENEMY MAY BE LISTEN
ING"
II was a brisk reminder that
In high places. men remind them
selves not to talk and keep this
silence even in the privacy of
their own homes.
They know-the stark. real
fact is that il is possible to talk
men TO death. Or talk battalions,
or regiments 10 death.
The story ut the top Of this
column IL an actual occurrence.
Remember II. Remember that
the FBI would not take Its
valuable time To investigate a
scrap OF loose talk on bus
unless such scraps of talks were
dangerous.
Not only the talk is danger
Gus. The habit of carieSSneSs is
dangerous. Here's another case,
likewise real likewise danger
Gus. and likewise one that oc-
CURED in Detroit.
Bugas recounted: a sales
man for an eastern tool and
die firm was here. His company
had an important and conf
Dental contract with the gov
eminent.
He was enStruSted with blue
prints of the things his com
pany was building. IL was
case or aggravated carelessness.
He carried the blueprints under
his arm, stopped at filling sta
ton. and left the blueprints
lying on a desk.
"The filling station attendant
didn't know whether the man
might be a spy. and perhaps had
stolen the papers, or was care
less. He called the FBI at once.
I'VE know the answer now.
lie wasn't a spy; he was care
less, but being careless can be
a. bad.
I'VE returned the blueprints
TO the company. They demanded
an explanation from the sales
man and then, drad him Or