Under a Swiss Moon

ESTHER IS VERY SICK GIVE THE MONEY TO UNCLE TO GET ESTHER BACK AS I DON'T CARE TO TALK TO HIM THIS IS THE ONLY CURE FOR HER

That, thought a puzzled Customs official, year ago, was a strange cablegram for Superfine Watch Co. of Manhattan to send its associate at Biel, Switzerland. The official was going through Superfine Co.'s correspondence to find out why it alone could sell imported watches at extraordinary cut rates. To learn more about "Esther," he ordered a U. S. secret agent in Italy to go to Biel, there to investigate one Marie Salzmann, recipient of the cablegram.

The agent obeyed, found Mile Salzmann to be aged 21, pretty, romantic. The agent also was young. Under the Swiss moon he made love to his victim. Presently he knew that "Esther" meant "shipment"; "uncle'' meant "Customs officer." "Money" therefore meant a bribe. He had unearthed a smuggling plot which had permitted at least $1,000,000 in watches to enter the U. S. free of duty, defrauding the Government of $350,000 a year.

The agent pursued his conquest, went in for details. He heard further from trusting lips that because Manhattan Customs examiners searched only one in ten cases of goods on their piers, Mile Salzmann & friends would ship nine cases of watches, one case of earthenware or bronze pieces, consign the whole shipment as undutiable earthenware and bronze. For their plan to succeed and the dummy cases only to be searched, corruption of some of the Manhattan Customs examiners was obviously necessary.

The love-making agent communicated with Manhattan, making charges. Last week--result of his efforts--Examiners Samuel Stansfield and William F. Gilroy were indicted by a Federal grand jury on two counts: conspiring to defraud the Government, accepting bribes. Also indicted last week were customs brokers and a truckman involved in the conspiracy. Previously indicted, sentenced to Atlanta, were Paul Rabkin and Joseph Y Perelman, onetime Superfine Watch Co. partners, by questioning whom Federal Judge Henry Warren Goddard hopes to arrest more of their associates. Last week he told them: "I don't believe your story. Both of you men have got to unburden yourselves about this entire business."

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