Chapter 10 Chapter 7 The Plunder of "Civilization"
Nakakubo Kyosuke remembered that he had mentioned the word "Marquette funds" in a speech at a committee meeting of the House of Representatives that he had read in the newspaper.
It was weird when I first read it.At that time, people raised questions about the shipbuilding corruption case in Congress, and I remember this word appeared in the speech.The late Jiang Muwu once worked as a market inspector of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in the United States. A letter written by his friend Shibayama Otoo mentioned an "international secret fund".It was only after reading this letter that Nakakubo remembered the "Marquette Fund".This made a deep impression on him, so it brought back old memories.
He took out the bound newspaper volumes kept by the radio station and looked them up.It took a lot of trouble to find out that it was a speech at a meeting of the House Transportation Committee.The questioner was Suehiro Toyoshi, member of the ruling party.
However, there are only a few lines of news in the newspaper, and it is impossible to understand the details.
Kyosuke Nakakubo immediately wanted to see the shorthand records of the House of Representatives at that time, but he couldn't find them.In the end, I went to the Library of Congress to borrow the files.
Nakakubo Kyousuke checked the questions and answers at the Transportation Committee meeting that day and found the following records:
"February 8. House Transportation Committee.
"Commissioner Suehiro (Tenji): I heard that there was a deposit in the city bank called 'Marquette Fund', which was borrowed from the name of the head of the Bureau of Economic Sciences during the Occupation, but I still don't know what its correct name is. This 'Marquette fund' totals tens of billions of yen. It is said that this is a loan with political conditions attached, and it is loaned to shipyards under various names, to the railway hall that has caused a sensation in society since last year, and to Kawasaki Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. The company's Chiba Iron Works. What is the actual situation? Please give a clear explanation on the relationship between the "Marquette Fund" and the Ministry of Transport and the National Railway Company.
"Government member Yamada (Kichi): We don't know anything about the relationship between the 'Marquette Fund' just mentioned and the shipyard.
"Narrator Sayama: We haven't even heard the term 'Marquette funding.' I'm sure the Railroad Guild has never received this funding at all."
"February 12. House Transportation Committee.
"Member Suehiro (Tenji): I would like to ask the Minister of Justice for his opinion on the so-called 'Marquette Fund' that I raised at the 8th meeting of this committee. Regarding the 'Marquette Fund', I myself only I have heard a little about it, but I don’t know the details. It is scattered and stored in banks in the city. Each bank deposits billions of yen, with a total of 80 to 90 billion yen, less than 100 billion yen. It is rumored outside There is a saying: In such an extremely tight year of money, the reason why a building costing hundreds of millions of yen can be easily built is that it is agreed in advance that there will be profits after the completion of the project before repaying the money—that is to say, it is due to the In the case of certain conditions, it was transferred from the 'Marquette Fund'. I suspect that this fund was also used for the construction of huge buildings such as the Railway Hall and the shipyard. Commissioner Suehiro raised a question at the Transportation Committee meeting on the 8th. The director of the Marquette Bureau replied that he believed that the shipyard did not use the 'Marquette funds'. The president of the National Railways replied that he did not know of such a thing as 'Marquette funds' and had nothing to do with it. The reply by the director of the Yamada Marine Bureau It gives people the impression that the "Marquette Fund" exists, but judging from the reply of the President of Sayama National Railways, the "Marquette Fund" does not actually exist, but is just a rumor. The situation is really complicated and difficult Explanation. Regarding the truth about the "Marquette Fund", did the prosecutorial authorities start any investigation? What is the situation? Under the rule of the occupying forces, there were many incidents of hidden materials, and the "Marquette Fund" was borrowed The name of Major General Marquette, Chief of the Economic and Science Bureau of the Occupation Forces General Command. I want to know if there is anything hidden in it.
"Congratulations to Minister of State: Regarding the 'Marquette funds' you pointed out, I have not received a report. If necessary, start investigating."
After he finished reading, he continued to look for the shorthand records that followed.
He had expected that there would be a question from Commissioner Suehiro shortly thereafter, but he couldn't find it anywhere.Minister Ohga replied that he would report after the investigation, but he did not submit a report after that.Dahe, the Minister of State, once served as the Minister of Justice. He exercised his power in the middle school and caused a sensation in the public opinion.
He searched for the shorthand records below, and only came across such a reply from the Minister of Commerce and Industry: "With regard to the financing of ships, ships refer to ships that sail abroad. The financing of financing may be from last year. The initial subsidy interest will be regularized from next year. Therefore, the interest subsidy will increase, and compared with this year, the ratio of the overall amount of financing next year will decrease... In addition, there are some references Information: The government has given so many subsidies to the city's banks to "rationalize" the shipbuilding industry planning enterprises, and those engaged in the maritime transportation industry have also stepped up their efforts to compete in the world market. All these are in a difficult state, but With the method of interest subsidy, it will not be difficult for the financial sector to recover the interest. Regarding the question of whether the financial sector should also share some, I have convened people in the financial sector and asked them to try to reduce the interest rate by about 7% a year... "I also saw such a question raised by the transportation committee: "The issue of shipbuilding has caused great doubts in the public opinion. The question is whether the Ministry of Transport believes that this bill is sufficient to realize the apportionment of the shipyard when the Congress amends and passes the interest subsidy law. Uh? Or do you think it’s a little unreliable? I think that’s the first thing I’d like to ask for advice.”
In other words, looking through all the shorthand records of the Transportation Commission at that time, the name "Marquette Funding" only appeared once.
Nakakubo Kyosuke thought: This is strange.Why did the name of this fund suddenly pop up from the mouth of Suehiro Tokichi in this place?There is no connection at all.
"The shipyard has also used this fund", "it is scattered and stored in the city's banks, and each bank deposits billions of yen, a total of 80 to 90 billion yen." At the beginning of the year, it was possible to easily build a building costing hundreds of millions of yen. It may be because of the agreement in advance that there will be a profit after the completion of the project before repaying the money—that is, the use of the funds under conditions. "—these words caught his attention.
He thought, so to speak, "Marquette funds" and "V funds" may be of the same nature, right?Major General Marquette was the director of the Bureau of Economic Sciences, which ruled the Japanese financial world during the American occupation.It is impossible to implement any economic policy without the permission of the bureau.
Then, are the so-called "V funds" and "Marquette funds" Marquette's assets left in Japan?
Where did Commissioner Suehiro Tokichi get the information in his speech?In his questioning, he used words such as "spreading" and "saying", but it is hard to imagine that he raised the question based on rumors in the market.He must have brought it up on the basis of reliable sources.
People in the Transport Board were agitated by the shipbuilding corruption case at the time.This was a statement made before the committee, which seemed to prove that "Marquette money" was inseparable from the shipbuilding corruption case.
Nakakubo Kyosuke wanted to know about Suehiro Tokichi's life experience right away.He found Suehiro's resume from the "Gentlemen's Book" on the shelf at hand:
"Suehiro Tokichi, born in Gunma County on October 2nd. (Education) Graduated from S University. (Resume) Worked as a clerk in a factory, ran a bus company, and served as a member of the town, city, and county councils. He was later elected He is a member of the House of Representatives and serves as the political undersecretary. He is currently the general manager of Dongguo Hotel Co., Ltd."
Of course, Nakakubo Kyosuke did not know Suehiro Tokichi, nor did he have a suitable introducer.
In this case, the radio station is as convenient as the newspaper office.Nakakubo called a field reporter surnamed Sakakibara, and said to him, "Excuse me, please go and meet this Suehiro Tokichi", and gave Suehiro's current address and Tokichi's address that he had seen on the "Gentlemen's Record" The name of the Guo Hotel told him. "At the House of Representatives Transportation Committee in Showa 29, this person once made a speech as a member, and the content was as follows." Nakakubo briefly told him about the "Marquette funds": " Don't say that I sent you, just say that the radio station is here to interview. Ask Suehiro himself about these things: Why is he asking about the 'Marquette Fund'? What is the so-called fund? And tell him, You looked through the shorthand record, but couldn't find the text. Ask him why this speech has no beginning and no end?"
"understood."
The young reporter jotted down the bullet points, stuffed them in his pocket, and walked out of the room.
Sakakibara came to report the situation that night.
He said to Nakakubo Kyousuke: "I called Suehiro Tokichi, and Suehiro asked me what I wanted. I was perfunctory at the beginning, and he insisted on explaining why I was looking for him. I said, 'About horses. Kate Fund, you raised a question at the Congressional Transportation Committee, and this is what I want to ask you about.”
"What happened next?" Nakakubo Kyosuke turned around and asked.
"He was silent at first, and then pretended to be stupid and said: 'Did I say such a thing?' I told him: 'Everything you said has a shorthand record.' He said: 'From tomorrow, I will go on a trip. Two days, so I can't receive you, come later.' I made an appointment to go to his house at nine o'clock in the morning."
"Thank you. Then ask him after you've been there." Nakakubo Kyosuke said.
But from Sakakibara's report, Suehiro Tokichi seems to be wary.Nakakubo Kyosuke had a premonition that Suehiro might want to escape.
as expected.Two or three days later, Sakakibara visited Suehiro. According to his family, he had gone to work in the company.The company refers to the Dongguo Hotel located in the city center.
According to Sakakibara, he rushed to the Dongguo Hotel immediately.But the people at Dongguk Hotel told him that Suehiro had gone to the office in Ginza.Suehiro Tokichi is still a member of parliament and has an office in Ginza.
Sakakibara went to the office.The people in the office said that Suehiro just went home.The reporter immediately drove to Suehiro's house, which was far from the city center.The family also said that Suehiro was at the Dongguo Hotel.
Sakakibara went back and forth between the three places for a whole day in vain.
"This guy is really disgusting," the young Sakakibara was very angry. "It seems that he is avoiding me. If he doesn't want to see me, he should just say it. This kind of behavior is really despicable."
"Don't say that," Nakakubo Kyosuke reassured him, "Can you try again tomorrow?"
Sakakibara looked unhappy, but reluctantly agreed.
As Kyosuke Nakakubo expected.According to Sakakibara, he called Suehiro Tokichi again the next day. This time, Suehiro's secretary answered the call, but he flatly refused, saying, "I'm too busy right now, so I can't see him for now."
Nakakubo Kyosuke felt that he could roughly understand why Suehiro Tokichi was unwilling to talk about this matter.The shipbuilding corruption case has become a major event that has caused a sensation in the public opinion circles, and it still leaves a root cause in the political circles until now.If the "Marquette Fund" is related to the shipbuilding corruption case, Suehiro Tokichi will of course keep silent.Besides, Suehiro's questioning of "Marquette Fund" does not seem to be motivated by pure motives.
It turned out that Suehiro Tokichi was concurrently the vice-chairman of the Political Affairs Management Supervision Committee.This committee was formed during the occupation, and its main task was to monitor administrative violations after the armistice.Therefore, the Committee's work is also entangled in the disclosure of concealed materials and rights and other issues.
If Suehiro Tokichi knew of the existence of the "Marquette Fund" due to his power relationship, it would be reasonable for him to raise a question at the Transportation Committee meeting.In this way, he did not speak at the Transportation Committee meeting in the future, and the government did not respond to the previous questions raised by him. This silence seems to have a certain meaning.
So far, Suehiro Tokichi probably doesn't want people to mention this matter.Nakakubo guessed that after Suehiro Tokichi was suddenly questioned by the radio station, he might be worried that he had a lot of information about him.
At this time, Nakakubo Kyosuke remembered that the Tokoku Hotel, where Suehiro Tokichi was the general manager, was only opened two or three years ago.
A suggestion flashed through his mind.
Before that, Suehiro Tokichi was just an ordinary person in the transportation industry in the local area.How could he build the Dongguk Hotel, which is said to have a capital of 300 million yen?Where did the funds come from? Kyosuke Nakakubo suddenly became interested, so he went to ask the staff of the General Affairs Bureau who was familiar with the situation.
The clerk gave him an investigation report form, and in the loan column, it was recorded that the hotel had borrowed 150 million yen from Bank T.
T Bank—Kyosuke Nakakubo stared at the ceiling and thought. T Bank's head office is in T County near Tokyo, and its business prosperity is second only to the six major banks in the city.The development of this bank in recent years is quite impressive.
What Nakakubo Kyousuke thought of was that the head office of Bank T was in County T.
Nakakubo Kyosuke has a strange impression of T County.Sentence by sentence, he recalled what Jinzo Arime had said.
"T County is indeed an incredible place. Mr. Kinoshita himself belongs to other powerful factions today, so why did he go to get close to the Kuga faction? Why is he so prosperous now? He has never been a minister, how could he be an important member of the ruling party?" What about your position? Regarding this matter, please connect it with the special situation of Kinoshita’s constituency, T County, and ponder it carefully. As far as T County is concerned, something will happen soon. Although that thing is still hidden, Once something happens, you may be able to glimpse a part of it for the first time."
Kinoshita Kunisuke is currently the vice chairman of the ruling party's policy review committee.There is a rumor that he will join the cabinet as a minister on the economy in the next cabinet reshuffle.Mankio Hamano, who served as the second head of the Special Investigation Department of the Prime Minister's Office, was also the captain of the police in this area in the past.Kinoshita once asked the chairman of the T County Council Yoshida Manjiro to introduce him to an old man.Kinoshita received a strange sum of money, which was given to him by Yaseda, the director of the Chiyoda Institute of Economic Research he met at Yoshida's house...
Nakakubo Kyosuke thought:
"T county has some famous places."
He immediately thought of the dereliction of duty of the general manager Kazuhiko Sasao that happened in T Bank and has become a topic until now.
The Bank T incident felt like good material for mass publicity.That is, the general manager made his own claim and lent a large sum of money to acquaintances without sufficient collateral, resulting in bad debts.The content is very complex.Nakakubo Kyosuke couldn't remember the specific plot for a while, but only remembered that the general manager Sasa acted arbitrarily and lent money to a businesswoman named Takahashi Ikuko.The general manager even had a scandal with this female manager who was famous for her flirtatiousness.
Kyosuke Nakakubo learned the fact that Suehiro Tokichi, who raised a question about "Marquette Funds", had borrowed 150 million yen from Bank T, and he had doubts in his heart, and suddenly became interested in this controversial event .Because he thought that maybe this incident could help him see the answer to the mystery of T County.
Nakakubo started looking for newspapers and magazines about the incident.
The following is the rough outline of the incident.
The beginning of the incident is as follows: Uchiyama, a powerful shareholder of T Bank, filed a complaint with the District Prosecutor's Office of T County on the grounds that T Bank had made illegal loans and Zuo Zuo's general manager had dereliction of duty.In addition to the business run by the lady mentioned above, there are other loans totaling 8.64 billion yen, equivalent to about 80% of the bank's total deposits.It is said that many of them include patent companies related to the political circles.According to the plaintiff, the loans of other banks in the city are almost limited to about 50%, and 80% of the loans are not normal, but greatly overrun; and the general manager has political conflicts with the borrowers. The suspicion of dereliction of duty is very serious.
The District Prosecutor's Office conducted an investigation based on Uchiyama's grounds for indictment, but the case was dismissed.According to the prosecutor's office, after investigation, the general manager was not suspected of dereliction of duty.
But this time Uchiyama was instead arrested by the District Prosecutor's Office on charges of intimidation.Uchiyama publicized that this was due to a conspiracy by the prosecutorial authorities and the bank.A member of the youth faction elected by the county was also implicated, exposing each other's shortcomings.
Nakakubo Kyousuke wants to investigate the creditors of T Bank's bulk loans.He asked the staff of the Economic and General Association Affairs Bureau who was familiar with the situation of T Bank to make a list.
Even Kyosuke Nakakubo, who has little knowledge of economics, was a little surprised when he saw the large loan list.
Many borrowers have borrowed more than the value of their collateral.For example, there was a loan whose collateral was valued at 400 million yen, but was lent to 1.1 billion yen.Another collateral worth 300 million yen was loaned to 700 million yen.There is even a loan of 440 million yen without collateral.There are as many as fifteen or six items with a difference of 100 million yen between the loan and the collateral.
Nakakubo Kyosuke asked the secretariat staff who showed him the list:
"Look, what's going on here?"
Office staff said:
"Well, there seems to be a lot of problems here."
The staff of this bureau is only thirty-two or thirty-three years old, but they are very shrewd and capable.Not only him, but all the staff members of the General Association's secretariat are admitted after rigorous examinations, and they absolutely don't care about personal feelings.It is well known that even the relatives of the chairman and vice-chairman will never be hired for personal gain.
However, the staff of the General Affairs Bureau of the Economic Federation has a very aggressive trade union organization. Because the Economic Federation is the headquarters of Japanese capitalists, this phenomenon is very special.
The staff of the secretariat smiled sarcastically and said:
"You seem to be very close to the vice president, why don't you ask him?"
"No matter how close it is, you can't ask this. I'm afraid he will get angry with me and ask me why I investigate these irrelevant things."
"Have you been investigating these things?"
"It can't be called an investigation, but some things are very interesting, so it's enough to be interested."
"Really?" The young office worker stared at Nakakubo Kyosuke's face for a while, and said, "Then, let me show you something interesting."
After a while, he produced a printed booklet.
"This is it."
It was a pamphlet of less than fifty pages, and the cover was titled "Facts About Bank T."
"It's a strange document," the staff member of the secretariat explained in advance, "you should read it roughly. The question you just raised can be answered from it."
Nakakubo Kyosuke flipped through the booklet printed on rough paper.
"Is this reliable?"
"So I pre-declare it's a weird document. But if you read it and think it's credible, then so be it."
After Kyosuke Nakakubo returned home, he started reading alone.He called his wife for coffee and cheered himself up.He felt that this "strange document" seemed to have soul-stirring contents.
"Local banks have their own missions. In terms of the functions of local finance, there is a limit to the objects of loans. But just look at the types of objects for the 29 large loans of Bank T, and you can find that there is an abnormal bias among them." , there are startling anomalies in lending.
“Three cases of loans to parties related to the old occupation forces
2.26 billion yen
"Ten loans to Conservative parties
2.61 billion yen
"Nine cases of personal loans to the general manager
1.97 billion yen
"Two loans to public bodies
930 million yen
Five loans to other enterprises
860 million yen
"A total of 29 cases of 8.63 billion yen
"It can be seen from this report that among the 29 large loans of more than 100 million yen, thirteen were loans from parties related to the old occupation army and parties related to the current Conservative Party; as for the amount of loans, the two A total of 4.87 billion yen. This almost reached about 60% of the total loans. Moreover, these two types of loans accounted for the vast majority of the uncollectible funds.
"Among the three loans related to the old occupation army, one of 700 million yen was loaned to an enterprise run by a certain woman, which has been widely discussed in the society; and according to an economic magazine, the loan amount was actually close to 110 million yen. billion yen.
"Insufficient collateral value, resulting in total bad debts of about 5.4 billion yen; insufficient collateral discount, resulting in partial bad debts amounted to 700 million yen. Moreover, most of the above-mentioned large loans are beyond the company's routine, and are due to Released with impure motives.
"Three loans of 2.26 billion yen to the so-called relevant parties of the old occupation army are said to involve powerful officers in the old occupation army.
"Take two or three cases of political speculation and self-serving loans by relevant parties of the Conservative Party as examples. The representative one is the northern mine in Hokkaido. It borrowed 440 million yen without collateral, and now it is completely bad debt up.
"The establishment of this enterprise company and the borrowed money are completely political transactions. Take the 440 million yen loaned by T Bank to the Northern Mining Company, of which some are used for equipment funds and operating funds. About 200 million yen, and the remaining nearly 250 million yen seems to have been used as political funds by the leaders of the two factions in the Conservative Party.
"In order to conceal this situation from the society, General Manager Sasa Kazuhiko appointed a close friend as the manager of the North Mining Company, and provided the company's building in Ginza to the leader of the faction as a political club. The politicians who are close to the leader through this company raise funds.
"It is said that a certain leader's faction was actually established based on this club.
"The authorities of Bank T lent a huge amount of bank funds to the northern mine - the mine that has ceased mining - with full knowledge of this inside story.
"Bank T repaid a loan of 410 million yen to N Shipping Company. When the so-called post-war government shipbuilding plan was first implemented, the manager of this company received tens of millions of yen from General Manager Zuo Zuo out of thin air. Bank funds. Needless to say, this shipping company has no collateral, has never even operated shipping, let alone actual results, and suddenly appeared.
"This company was established by using the government's financial investment loans to quietly squeeze into the shipbuilding plan. It was suddenly implicated in the shipbuilding corruption case. However, the manager of N company used the excuse of hospitalization to avoid the limelight, and soon because the then legal minister exercised power. Saved. At that time, Manager N and General Manager Sasa used Akasaka Village as their base, and brought in the Minister of Transport and the Chief of Defense to start political work for the funds allocated to N Shipping Company. The relationship between the Chief of Defense and General Manager Sasa at that time was already Water and fire were incompatible, and his relationship with the transport minister at that time was also bad. It is said that the prosecutor's office has evidence about the transport minister, and the key seems to be N Shipping Company.
"In short, N Shipping Company, which started from scratch, has become an official shipping company with four oil tankers by virtue of selfish fraud in shipbuilding funds. This is indeed amazing. Moreover, General Manager Zuo Zuo was implicated in a political corruption case For a person in charge of a bank, this should never be the case. Fortunately, the legal minister came forward to protect him, and Zuo Zuo and Manager N were saved.
"Furthermore, in terms of the 418 million yen loan that is currently on the shelf, the bank is probably looking at the huge valuation of the real estate owned by the borrower W Enterprise Company, but taking the legacy of the old Imperial Navy as such Mortgage, the motive is very impure. The company itself manufactures military supplies, is a highly dangerous enterprise company, and the operator is a notorious figure. Considering that there is also the mediation of the Minister of National Defense, it is even more suspicious up.
"East Asia Smelting Company actually obtained a relief loan because of the mediation of a leader of the Conservative Party and the then President of the Bank of Japan: General Manager Sasuke agreed to lend 245 million yen, and a Political transactions. At that time, the East Asia Smelting Company was in a desperate situation because it issued short bills indiscriminately in the city, reaching as much as one billion yen at one time. A certain leader of the Conservative Party came forward to rescue him because he was related to the manager of the company and encouraged Japan The bank president joined him in putting pressure on General Manager Zuo Zuo to approve the loan.
"However, the District Prosecutor's Office of T County not only dismissed the complaint made by Uiyama, a shareholder of T Bank, but also arrested Uchiyama on suspicion of intimidating the general manager of Zuo Zuo. There is a big conspiracy hidden here. For several years, the prosecutor's office has been The government tends to become a government that specializes in political conspiracy. Through this incident, it can also be seen that this situation has worsened.
"It has become an open secret how Conservative Party politicians wantonly embezzled and developed banks after the war. These national financial institutions have a certain range, and those who cannot squeeze in will go to the city banks for activities. The reason why they fancy T Bank is There is a good reason. There is a shady scene that the people don't know about.
"The general manager, Kazuhiko Sasao, seems to have quite a lot of leverage in other people's hands. In order to expand their own related businesses, or to collude with patent entrepreneurs, the conservative politicians use the general manager's handle to obtain money from T Bank. A large loan. This is indeed blackmail in disguise.
"Take the above form as an example: The northern mining company borrowed 440 million yen, which is completely bad debt. This alone has dealt a heavy blow to Bank T, and this loan is a clever political conspiracy That is to say, the company’s directors are all people with deep ties to the Conservative Party. The company originally borrowed from the Development Bank, but now it has borrowed from T Bank. It can be considered that behind this incident is the conservative The party chief was at the helm of planning to funnel Zozo funds into the company as a political deal. It's not hard to imagine political fraud, intimidation, and breach of trust intertwined.
"However, Uchiyama, who reported the incident, was prosecuted by the District Prosecutor's Office of the same county on charges of intimidation. This is a poisonous plan to prevent the bank's illegal activities from being made public. It is the general manager of Zuo Zuo and the leader of the Conservative Party who used him As well as the conspiracy created by the collusion of the procuratorial authorities. The political police have always used a series of negative measures within the procuratorial powers such as non-acceptance, acquiescence, discretion, refusal, and shelving as the main means. One of the characteristics of this incident can be said to be It was the prosecutorial authorities who actively used their power to participate in this conspiracy."
The print goes on to say:
"This incident is one of the most typical conspiracies planned by the Japanese ruling class after the war. This is an interesting record, proving that the Conservative Party government manipulated finance, used power, colluded and cheated, and built such a powerful strategic castle.
"Through this incident, one feels that in Japan under the democratic system, there is a secret realm that is not allowed to be seen by ordinary people.
"Three things clearly emerge from the elucidation of this incident:
"(1) It becomes more and more apparent that the mystery of the banking mystery that once aroused people's discussion is mysterious.
"(2) The leaders of the faction of the prosecutor's office have become more and more lawless in abusing their power.
"(3) Conservative politicians are hopelessly corrupt.
"The mystery of Bank T has something to do with the materials hidden at the end of the war. There is no doubt about it. However, there are various rumors outside about the process of hiding, the relationship between people and the materials themselves, and opinions are very inconsistent. The US military officers at the time and the Japanese The names of high-ranking officials of the Imperial Household Ministry also appeared. This incident must have something to do with the old Japanese soldiers. Some people seized this lead and repeatedly carried out extortion, but the prosecutorial authorities never exercised their power to stop it. This is also strange.
"Furthermore, Congress brought the issue of concealed materials and the issue of diamonds and precious metals to the Finance Committee, the Administrative Inspection Committee, and the Final Accounts Committee. On the other hand, the deliberation meeting will be interrupted, or the Congress will be dissolved, and the matter will be left behind. This is really inexplicable.
"Newspapers and magazines kept probing the mystery centered on T Bank and the general manager of Zuo Zuo, but the bank and the general manager did not express any opinion on this, nor did they raise a single protest, let alone accuse them of slandering their own reputation.
"Although T Bank's strange problem with borrowers caused public outcry, the general manager Zuo Zuo remained calm and still acted arbitrarily.
"Everything is the power of money.
"Zuo Zuo's funds are scattered among all the important factions in the Conservative Party's political circle. The big debtors in the bank's books happen to be listed on the investigation list of the shareholder Uchiyama. If we investigate this content, maybe we will find other people outside the books. Funds. Who can guarantee that funds outside the books will not be involved in secret vaults.
"The firepower of Mr. Uchiyama's attack was too fierce. General Manager Zuo Zuo had to rely on the prosecutorial authority to use his power to block it. The firepower is in danger of spreading from T Bank to the Conservative Party itself. Unless the prosecutor's office is pulled in to put out the fire, there is no other way." Other ways. So, a clever trap was set up, and Mr. Uchiyama fell into the trap.
"Mr. Uchiyama still refuses to give up. He continues to pursue the responsibility of the general manager of Zuo Zuo, investigates the large amount of bad debts of Bank T, plans to announce the results of his investigation to the shareholders, and advocates rectifying the bank's personnel. Just as the general manager of Zuo Zuo When I thought that the general meeting of shareholders could be successfully held, I was surprised to hear that Mr. Uchiyama had distributed a pamphlet with a top-secret list to the shareholders. The news that the general manager was intimidated soon spread, and took this as a turning point Instead, Mr. Uchiyama was charged with intimidation. It is believed that there is a big conspiracy by the District Attorney's Office behind this incident."
Concerning the machinations of the District Attorney's Office, the pamphlet goes on:
"The 'Fu Le Incident' is enough to prove the political conspiracy color of this incident. The 'Fu Le Incident' is an event that some people used the 'Fu Le' Restaurant in T City as a base to plan together. The party involved in this incident is T City District Prosecutor's Deputy Prosecutor Sano, T Bank's consultant lawyer and Conservative Party Members, etc. They have been meeting for days to plan how to frame Mr. Uchiyama. This consultant lawyer is a prosecutor and was a classmate of Sano's prosecutor in college. Because this is The event that caused a sensation in the central political circles was thought to have been planned by these three people after consultation with the highest central authority, the government, political parties, and the prosecutor's office.
"In order to bury Mr. Uchiyama and give support to President Sasa, the current deputy prosecutor of the District Public Prosecutor's Office, the direct descendant of the powerful leader of the Huashan cabinet, the current member of parliament, and the counsel lawyer who is the representative of President Sasa, conducted a They have been co-planning for a long time. In fact, they can be said to be the highest staff in T county.
"On the one hand, the District Prosecutor's Office of T cannot suspend the case of Mr. Uchiyama's denunciation of General Manager Zuo Zuo's dereliction of duty indefinitely. The public opinion is becoming more and more unfavorable to General Manager Zuo Zuo. So the three people planned together in 'Fu Le' Thoroughly investigate Mr. Uchiyama's past and present behavior, and if any suspicious circumstances are found, use this as an excuse to arrest Mr. Uchiyama. It seems that the bank's consultant lawyer and others were the first to collect materials.
"At the same time, it was decided that Deputy Prosecutor Sano would urge his subordinates and mobilize the police to thoroughly investigate Mr. Uchiyama's actions. Another prosecutor reported that the files of the District Prosecutor's Office recorded that in a case of dereliction of duty of a construction company buying land, Mr. Uchiyama and Real estate brokers and gangsters were involved in real estate issues. It is said that prosecutor Sano was very happy to hear this, and the three of them toasted at the 'Fuller' that night to celebrate the event.
"When the issue was made public, the congressman found an excuse to travel abroad. All this can only show that the prosecutor's office used violence. Sano alone bears the charge of fabricating excuses and attempting to frame Mr. Uchiyama. Getting him involved in such a big Although there are personal factors in the whirlpool of the conspiracy, it can also be considered that this is a kind of self-sacrificing risk that was forced to take, with the purpose of preventing General Manager Zuo Zuo and the Conservative Party and the government involved in the case from seeking People are implicated in hideous malfeasance cases.
"However, the Deputy Prosecutor Sano, who carried the alcove of 'Fule' on his back and consulted with relevant people, may have died suddenly due to excessive drinking and sex for days and nights. As for the cause of his death, there are also various rumors. The place where he worked The Deputy Public Prosecutor of the Public Prosecutor's Office can be said to be the commander-in-chief of the District Prosecutor's Office. This person has been spending days with the counsel lawyer of the defendant Bank T and the current congressman who is the mediator in the case. Needless to say, this means that he has been bribed with food and drink.' Fu The Le' incident is a typical example that directly exposed the inside story of the use of prosecutorial power for political purposes, and it is a powerful document that illustrates the corruption of the prosecutorial power."
Nakakubo Kyosuke read the document in one go and closed it.The remaining half cup of coffee was cold.He smoked and thought.
The content is very interesting.The clerk of the Economic and Trade Union Affairs Bureau who gave him this pamphlet also said that it was a strange document, but he added a nice line: If you think it is credible after reading it, then it is fine.It seems that it can also be understood that he wants to say: this content is not fabricated.
Bank T made huge loans under or without collateral, and the borrowers were mostly top Tory politicians or people associated with the old occupying forces.
Bank T is indeed a strange place, if this is to be believed.Judging from this content, General Manager Zuo Zuo seems to be a big careerist.He has collusion with political leaders and seems to have links with the old occupying forces.But if it is believed to be true, a general manager of a local bank should not do this.看来股东内山告发总经理渎职是不无道理的。
可是，现在中久保京介所要了解的倒不是总经理的渎职行为，他所要追究的是这个地方银行的总经理放款为什么会这么大胆。据这个文件说，佐佐总经理有“短处”拿在人家手里，头号政客们抓住了把柄，对他敲诈勒索。
“怪文件”里没有进一步说明总经理佐佐一彦有什么“短处”拿在人家手里。是因为“怪文件”的作者还不大了解才没有说明呢，还是他考虑到后果而保持沉默呢？则不得而知了。
不过这个文件中谈到了颇为有趣的事。
那就是T银行的谜与战争结束时的隐匿物资有关连这一点，其中还出现了当时的美军军官和日本宫内省高级官员的名字。文中有这样几句话：“肯定与旧日本军人有关系。国会把隐匿物资的问题和钻石贵重金属的问题提到财政委员会、行政监察委员会、决算委员会上，大大引起世人的注意。可是说也奇怪，及至问题的焦点一接近T银行的有关方面时，审议会就中断了，或者国会就解散了，事情没了下文。”
中久保京介觉得这里似乎有可以推断出“V资金”的一部分实质的材料。也就是说，所谓“马凯特资金”如果是“V资金”的别称，那笔资金是否与由于揭发隐匿物资而暴露的黑市勾当有关呢？旧日本军部当时喊叫“抗战八年”。中久保一直把它当作军部的虚张声势，可是现在觉得那个口号是有后盾的。后盾就是这批物资。旧军部在战争期间驱使陆军和海军的特务机关从中国大陆和东南亚运回的物资也在其中吧。金锭、金条、钻石、贵重金属、锡等稀有金属似乎曾秘密地贮存在日本内地，据说刚一战败，这些物资就都潜入地下了。
战后，这些物资一点一点地出现了。每当出现的时候，就发生奇怪的谣传。
T银行总经理象这样滥放巨款，究其内幕，是否因为在他管理之下有着这类隐匿物资——被占领军发现后就由美国高级官员们保管，或者未被占领军获知，仍由日本人方面继续隐匿着的物资呢？
地方银行的总经理究竟是个吃银行饭的。不论怎样独断独行，也不能设想他会发放完全不拘数额的贷款。总经理有把握地滥放巨款，看来是有后盾的。
中久保京介接着就去会见那个经总协事务局职员。
“这种小册子散发到各方面了吗？”
“好象是的。政治团体和金融实业界方面好象也散了不少。”
“反应怎么样？”
“这种反应不会那么表面化。感兴趣的人，内心忐忑不安的人，表面上都装作若无其事的样子。怎么样，有趣吗？”
“真有趣，”中久保京介望着这位事务局职员的脸说，“可是您大概认识这个小册子的作者吧？”
中久保是凭着直觉这么想的。
"Well, yes."
事务局职员起初含糊其词，由于中久保京介一再追问，他终于只好说的确是认识那个人的。
“我想向他打听点事情。我在调查其他问题。不过这个T银行事件，很有参考价值。如果不便的话，我可以完全不问那个人的姓名和身份。能不能单让我见本人一面呢？”
中久保京介是认真的。
“可以吧。只要您作出这样的诺言。”
这位事务局职员是个思想相当进步的人。这样的一个人竟在日本金融实业界的大本营工作，是很奇怪的。
几天以后，中久保京介在某处会见了同那位事务局职员一起来的一个人。此人年在四十岁左右，身材很高，体格一看就挺结实。
中久保京介心里还有没搞清楚的问题。那位保守党政治家木下邦辅为什么能够有今天呢？他也是T县人。再者，据“有末情报”，他因负责而几乎被人控告，正在为难的时候，有人悄悄地替他偿付了。Who is that?木下邦辅通过T县县议会议长吉田万次郎企图接触的那个老人究竟是怎么个角色？自从有末走掉之后，这些问题他都无从去打听了。
可是，现在想起来，就感到这些问题与T县潜藏着的深层秘密有关。
“T银行事件”是否无意中露出了马脚呢？
而且，如果象人们所说的那样，T银行的钱与造船贪污案有关，那末就令人感到，这与经久我首相作出指示、而由大贺法务相下令予以庇护的问题也有关连。
想到这里，中久保京介就希望进一步窥探“T银行事件”的内幕了。
由经总协事务局职员陪同前来的那个人果然没有说出姓名。他仅仅承认自己是那份“怪文件”的作者。
这个人好象不大爱讲话，服装也不怎么考究。不过由于体格健壮，并不显得寒伧。三个人在一家饭馆聚会，随便要了点酒，然后就把女侍打发开。
“T银行总经理佐佐一彦这个人大概很早以前就通过金融实业界的关系，与政治家们交往了。作为银行家，他的性格很古怪，非常鲁莽。至于兴趣方面，他迁到T县之后才学会抛网，别无其他嗜好。当然，他大概是打算锻炼身体的，把网猛地抛出去这样的游戏好象很能表现出他独特的性格。”
小册子的作者一点点谈起来了。
“原来T银行是昭和十八年根据当时大藏省银行局的银行管理方针，把两个财阀银行合并而成的。正因为有两个银行的财阀作背景，底子是相当厚的。而且日本刚一战败，美军便下令褫夺以日本银行总裁为首的当时第一流银行家的公职，对他们陆续予以整肃。这些人当中，佐佐一彦多亏在地方银行任职，得以幸免。由于日本银行的总裁及董事一概遭到整肃，当时担任名古屋分行行长的人，竟突然奉召去当总裁，以后还当上了大藏相。时局就是这样混乱。佐佐认为自己本来也能够当上日本银行总裁的，直觉得遗憾。
他之所以对贷款给政治家发生了兴趣，是由于政治家这类人一旦借了钱就会暴露弱点，而那就会使他的兴趣得到满足。他打算通过贷款来操纵政治家们，可是结果他反而被政治家们所利用。他谅必认为只要使政治家站在自己这边，一旦发生什么事件，也许能够暗中予以了结。 "
“您说旧军人与T银行有关，这是怎么回事呢？”中久保京介问道。
“这个嘛，其中还有一段隐秘的趣事哩。”那个人说，“那是战争眼看要打败的时候，也就是昭和十九年的事情。当时T县宪兵队长梅山陆军中校的家属租住T市内的一所属于佐佐的房子。那时节正值房荒严重，梅山宪兵队长租的房子又搬进了当时在朝鲜军司令部供职的镰田陆军中将的家属。不久，梅山中校只身调到北海道。战争结束后，两家主人同时归来，于是，成为失业军人的镰田和梅山两户人家合住一座房子的局面就开始了。大杂院生活本来就不好处，何况当时粮食困难，对失业军人冷淡又成了社会风气，所以这两户人家势必就反了目。既已战败，就没有什么中将、中校之分了。可以说生活的艰难进一步破坏了这两个人的关系。
“两家只隔着一层纸隔扇，相互产生了冷淡的敌对情绪。
“然而，有一天晚上，前中将镰田在相隔一层纸隔扇的邻室偷听了梅山夫妇悄悄讲的话。
“梅山的老婆正在向丈夫诉说日子不好过。作妻子的对梅山说：'咱们生活这么困难，何不向银行的佐佐先生讲明情况，把那个东西给处理了呢？'她一再劝丈夫：'把钻石处理掉，分给咱们应得的一份儿，现在的苦日子不知道将会好转多少呢。'
“前中将镰田恍然大悟。梅山曾在东南亚当过宪兵队长。镰田听到'钻石'这个词儿，大概立刻就意识到梅山当时是捞过一把的。干哪行的通哪行。镰田中将觉察到梅山侵吞了从南方搞到的钻石的一部分，并且推断出他把这些东西委托给T银行的佐佐总经理保管了。前中将镰田就根据隔着纸隔扇偷听到的梅山夫妇的牢骚，作出了这样的推断。
“不久以后，前中将镰田的家属就从早已跟他们闹翻了的前宪兵队长梅山家搬走了，搬到在别处新建的住宅去。那是总面积一百、建筑面积占四十坪，在当时说来是颇为考究的新式住宅。由于战败，前中将镰田找不到工作，生活很困难，怎么会有力量修筑这么讲究的住宅呢？这在当时是不可理解的事情。
“大约就在这个时候，东京银座某珠宝商的店里出售一枚三克拉左右、标价约一百万日元的钻石。但是由于当时众议院隐匿物资揭发委员会的活动而被发现，那个珠宝商受到追究，终于不得不说出寄售人的姓名。也就是说，查明了寄售人是现住T市的前中将镰田。
“揭发委员会于是前去询问镰田夫人。夫人否认说，那是丈夫担任驻法武官时买给她的礼物。但是后来查明这并非事实。
“问题就在这里。前中将镰田听到前宪兵队长梅山夫妇吵嘴之后，不久就盖了新房，镰田在这背后是玩弄了诡计的。”
“难道前中将镰田用恐吓手段讹诈了佐佐总经理吗？”中久保京介问道。
“是的，您猜得对。”那个人咧嘴一笑，点点头。
“那些钻石是前宪兵中校梅山在东南亚担任派遣军宪兵队长的时候，从当地掠夺来的。他委托佐佐总经理代为保管。
“由于战争结束后的一片混乱，这些东西就不再归军部管辖，一部分有关人员得以任意处理。我这种臆测很可能是对的。在那前后，反间谍队就以隐匿物资的嫌疑搜查过佐佐总经理的住宅。”
“哦，那时搜出了不少东西吗？”
“没有搜到，”那个人摇摇头。“据说从佐佐总经理家的院子里只找到五银子，其他贵重金属竟一点也没有找到。恐怕他早已料到这一手，把他拥有的一切贵重金属都巧妙地藏到其他地方了。说不定他利用自己在金融机构中的领导地位，已经都给换成了现款。总之，他把银块埋在自家院子里，曾被揭发，从这件事就可以推想到还有其它东西。同时，似乎也可以料想他曾考虑过打掩护。”
“有什么可靠的旁证吗？”
“有啊。战后迅速发展起来的新兴宗教势力当中，不是有个最著名的京都的圣化教吗？教祖是河村三吾。这个有名的教祖给蜂涌而来的信徒们写诗笺，据说以每张三千日元左右畅销出去。教祖每天总计写三千张，象造币局似的'制造'了金钱。
“河村教祖积蓄的钱无法处置。为了换成骨董或贵重金属，曾很伤脑筋。据说佐佐总经理抢在其他银行家头里去接近河村教祖，帮助他把钱换成实物。为此，他甚至在京都开设了银行分行。
“一方面也是由于个人癖好的关系，这位河村教祖逐渐热中于购买书画和贵重金属，这些东西如今多得足够设立一座博物馆的。当时发生了一件有趣的事情。反间谍队队长卡比亚中校搜查了河村的住宅。据说在后山的防空洞里查获可以装三卡车的隐匿物资，其中有大批的钻石和贵重金属。”
中久保京介问道：“全都落入美军手里了吗？”
“没有，没有落入，”对方否认说“。奇怪的是，完全退给河村教祖了。当然，不知道是不是全部，反正发还给他了。”
“嗬，怎么居然发还了？”
“因为他背后有一个人物。此人运动了美军，把没收的贵重金属又给要了回来。”
“真是个了不起的谋士啊！而且还是在占领时期，真不容易呀！”
“是啊。那是个上了年纪的人。而且，他和占领军领导部门的一个人——负责揭发隐匿物资的高级军官有非常密切的关系。”
中久保京介两眼盯着对方的脸。
他想起了芝山乙男所写的情报里的一段话：“藏在各地的物资、贵重金属和稀有金属等，战后都陆续被揭发出来。当时负责这些工作的是各地美军军政部（由第八军管辖）和反间谍队等……为了依法处理，就首先把全国各地的资料集中到中央法务局……在法务局担任揭发工作的负责人叫哈德雷。
“哈德雷娶了一个当时在美军官舍当女仆的非常漂亮的日本姑娘。那以后，姑娘的父亲就不断出入法务局了。他不会讲英语，但是从全国各地送到哈德雷那里来的揭发文件都是用日文写的，所以他从作哈德雷的妻子兼秘书的自己的女儿那里得到了阅读那些文件的机会。
“根据揭发材料，这个姑娘的父亲了解到一切有关隐匿物资的内容，不知不觉之间就具有了一种权力。出入于法务局和反间谍队的日本方面的大人物中，有银行总经理，也有金融实业界的大人物，还有与旧军部有关的大人物……这位老人另外还有两个女儿，其中一个嫁给了T县名门出身的某个最有权势的人物。这个老人如今可以说是知道这项'国际秘密资金'的人们当中的一个……驻美行情考察官江木务君因患了原因不明的症状回日本之前，一天晚上曾在纽约参加晚餐会，这位老人也出席了。”
中久保京介朝对方的脸凝视了好一阵子。
“那位有势力的老人，”中久保京介半响才问道。“叫什么名字呢？”
那个人露出了踌躇的表情，拒绝道：
“名字可不能说。”中久保想起芝山乙男也始终没有说出那个老人的姓名。这个人也不肯说出来。那个老人就是T县县议会议长吉田万次郎的亲家，据说是木下邦辅不断想接触的人物。事情又过了几年，木下邦辅如今必然已如愿以偿，同那位老人接近了。
为什么这个人也闭口不谈那个老人的姓名呢？
“总之，以大批贵重金属和钻石为媒介，佐佐总经理与圣化教的财宝建立了密切的联系。外间传说，当时佐佐总经理个人清账之后，可以动用的资金竟达二十亿日元。”
“您所说的旧军人关系，指的是那位原在朝鲜军司令部任职的军官或前宪兵队长吗？”
“不，不是的。他与T县出身的前陆军中校有关。”
“这是个什么样的人呢？
于是对方又踌躇了。
“那个名字我可不能说。总之，如今他正在东京市中心大规模地做出口贸易哩。而此人今天所以能够做那么大的生意，骨子里是由于他与佐佐总经理有密切的关系。”
对方说到这里发了一会儿呆。从表情看，他好象是在考虑讲下去好呢，还是应该闭口不谈。
“对啦。您既然对这样的事感到兴趣，实在有必要了解这个人的情况。可是，我想，由我谈出来是不适当的。”
“那末，有办法了解吗？”
“请让我想一想。”对方考虑了一会儿才说：“总之，我想问题有两个。一个是，当时隐匿起来的物资——特别是钻石和贵重金属，现在是以什么方式收藏着。另一个问题是，当时混水摸鱼的那些家伙如今的情况。其中有一些人，如今成了受尊敬的人物，社会上没有人知道他们过去的秘密。也有一些人成了金融实业界隐然拥有实力的人物。还有一些人与某大钢铁公司勾结，在策划与战时同样的阴谋……但是，他们的本钱准可以说正是战争结束时掠夺到的庞大物资。如果情况允许的话，我倒想写一本《战败后群盗录》呢。”
he laughed.
“我虽然不能谈，有个适当的人却可以谈。这个人现在为了追求钻石告密奖金而在拚命斗争呢。”
“钻石告密奖金？”
“战争时期有过告密受奖制度，凡是揭发隐匿物资的，就给以评价额一成的报酬。”
对的，确实有过这样的制度。这个制度当时是堂哉皇哉立法化了的。
“那个人追查了战争刚一结束就在市上出现的许许多多钻石的来源。他查出那原是存在日本银行保险库里的。现在谁都知道日本银行保险库中有十六万克拉的钻石。其实，查明那里有那么一大批钻石的就是那个人。所以他提出诉讼，要求按照当时的规定付给一成的奖金。他为了进行那项调查，东奔西走，一年到头不着家。现在穷得一塌胡涂，过着朝不保夕的生活。可是，他在梦想从十六万克拉钻石的市价中获得一成奖金呢。由于这个人全力以赴地在追查隐匿物资，我想他会向您谈出一切情况的。”
He concluded by saying:
“您要是把这个问题追究下去，必然会碰上在造船贪污案中利用职权进行庇护的问题。其中有谁都不了解的问题，也许将是永远被封闭起来的秘密——说不定您可以窥见其底细呢。”
Notes:
Notes: