South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-02
CHARGE ARREST
Of AMERICAN AS
SPY IS FRAME UP
Friends of Raymond SwObOda
Accused of Setting Fire to
la Touraine Get Help of
State Department.

WASHINGTON. April 2 ~ All the
machinery Of the state department
was put in motion Thursday for the
release of Raymond Rolfe SWoboda,
the American who is under arrest IN
Paris on the charge of setting fire TO
the French liner La TOuratne on her
recent crossing from New York to
Havre.
Robert K. MacLea OF New York,
buyer of textiles for the French syndi-
cate in whose interest Mr.. SWoboda
had been on a visit 10 this country.
called at the state department and
had a long conference with Judge
Nicolson. acting solicitor of the de
partment.
Mr.. MacLea, who was a textile eX-
pert with the tariff board two years
ago, advanced the theory that group
of INSCRIPTIONS jobbers in New York
who had been reaping a harvest from
the French government by over
charges on commodities. had framed
up" the charge against Mr.. SwObOda
because they saw in the success of
his efforts the loss of their trade.
Had Been Oyercharged.
France had- been Overcharged at
least so per cent on all her purchases
in this country, in the opinion of Mr..
MacLea. The total would run into
the millions. Most of this over
charge was intentional. but some was
due to the faulty system Of distribu-
ton, necessitating the handling of or
ders through several agencies.
1t was TO eliminate this tremendous
overcharge, according to Mr.. MacLea
that the syndicate was organized and
Mr. Swoboda came to the United
States The syndicate was organized
in France and includes NJ. Morrison,
Maurice DuciOs and others. It's OBJ
iect was to buy from the American
mills direct eliminating the middle
man. Mr.. SwobOda was sent to the
United States 10 make the arrange
ments on this side. AS a result Mr..
MacLea was engaged - the buyer of
textiles.
"Mr. Morrison is an adviser to the
French government on foreign trade
and d government broker The French
government does not buy direct. 1t
appoints brokers who do the buying
The government however, inspects
the goods before taking them over.
NOuches for SwObOda.
Mr.. Morrison voucheS for SWO-
bOda, who is himself a man of stand
ing and means. For seven years he
has been on the Paris bOUrse. His
father was a Russian and his mother
a Scotch woman. He was born in San
Francisco and at an early age was
taken 10 Russia After living there
United States and il is my impression
that he was educated at a western
university. He is an American citi-
zen and in all my business experience
never met a more straightforward
man.
AT the time Of the German ad-
vance on Paris, when men and wOm-
en- were offering as high as $500 to
$1,000 to be taken out of the city, Mr.
SWUbOda used his automobiles 10 get
them out and charged them nothing.
The story that an actress is in
VOlved and that she induced him to
act as = spy is absurd. II may come
from a misunderstanding of the facts.
Mr.. SwOboda's wife is an opera singer
of high reputation and she has been
singing in Geneva. 1 have often heard
him speak of her and he impressed
me as being very devoted to her.
Didn't Pack Trunks.
1T was Mr.. Swoboda's intention TO
sail on the Lusitania and he did not
change his plan until a day or two
before time 20 leave. Ii was then
pointed out TO him that by taking the
French vessel he would avoid the de-
law and inconvenience of getting his
many sample trunks across the chan
mel from England. He lad nothing
whatever TO do with the packing of
his trunks and I personally put them
on la Touraine."
This statement OF Mr. MacLea is
supported by a telegram received at
the state department Thursday from
Eugene Davis. representing another
syndicate, in which he said he was
personally responsible for Mr. Swo-
boda taking the French steamer at the
last minute
The testimony Of Mr.. Davis and Mr..
MacLea on this point is regarded of
great importance at the state depart
ment As indicating ar absence of any
criminal intention on The part of Mr..
Swoboda.
Concerning the story that a photo
graph had been found of Mr. Swoboda
IN "a German uniform. standing be-
tween two German officers. Mr. Mac
Lea said:
Il don't take any stock in il. Mr..
SWoboda was a widely travelled man
and had been in Germany many times
before the war. such photograph
might have been taken. As for anv
other papers that are said to have
been found n his possession il would
be easy enough for those who trump
ca the charge against him TO place
them in his BELONGINGS"
letter i Produced.
Air. MacLea had with him a letter
FROM Mr.. Swoboda dated in Paris
March =. day or two after his ar
rival, in which he said
AS you already know by the cables
that 2 sent You. 7 finally got here an
FlsnI Being "a passenger on shin
whose cargo has been on fire for
somewhat near IS hours is a kind of
experience that wants 10 be lived
particularly when part of this ship's
cargo consists OF powder and am
munluon- However. in the end every
1hlhs turned out all right and the