The Washington times., 1915-04-01
Commercial Jealousy
Ascribed as Cause of
Detention of SWobOda

Commercial jealousy is ascribed as the
cause for the arrest of Raymond Rolfe
Swoboda in Havre on the charge or
having set fire to the Touraine In mid
ocean, March 16, by Swoboda's Amer
ican representative, Robert X. Mac
Lea.
Mr.. MacLea called on Secretary Bryan
and at the White House today TO urge
immediate steps for his principais re-
I lease. o.. NM
The purchase of more than $40 o.0oo, 900
worth of commodities from American
manufacturers. with the middle man
eliminated, which was Swobodas plan
on behalf Of the French government,
found to be the nucleus of the trouble.
Following his official visits. which ne
declares resulted in assurances that
full and prompt official action VIII pc
forthcoming, Mr.. MacLea outlined the
connection of Mr.. Swoboda, menlpeI
of the Paris bourse, with the French
government, the details OF Swopooa
recent visit to the United states; ana
either the result of a gross mistake OF
of q "frame-up" by business rivals.
A Textile Expert.
Mr.. MacLea is a textile expert. and as
such, was officially connected with the
Government Tariff Board during It's IN
vestigation of the textile Industries
swoboda is not only American born and
a citizen. but that he received his
education here, and has lived in France
for only seven or eight years.
Swoboda. according to Mr.. MacLea'
is the authentic representative of NJ.
Morrison, the French government ao-
wiser for the foreign trade or France,
and of Maurice Duclos, tariff expert OF
the French government and the ciVil
tribunal The purposes OF Swopoda
activities in the United States, he
states, is the arrangement OF plan py
American manufactures can be hanoiea
in France and Russia both during ana
after the present war:
In furtherance of this plan. Swoooda
contracted with Mr.. MacLea to repre-
sent him in the purchase or texture
commodities, and, with william +.
Mohr. of New York. for the purchase
Of such commodities as sugar, flour,
oils and picriC acid, for Government
use.
Mr.. Swoboda's American partner, Mr.;
MacLea, states, ts Thomas Hooper, or
New York city. While here, Mr.. Swo"
boda, obtained samples of corhmod-
tiles from all of the leading mills AMI
manufactures of the country, togeth-
er with statements of terms, and took
them with him when he sailed on the
La Touraine.
Calls Them Contortions.
"The statements attributed to Mr..
Swoboda in the New York papers, Mr..
MacLea declares. ARE no doubt con-
tortions. 1T was only at the last mo-
ment that Swoboda was pursuaded to
return to France on La Touraine
instead of the Lusitania, which sailed
the same day. lie family changed his
mind, because it was pointed out that
he would probably encounter con-
siderable difficulty transferring his
trunks across the English channel II
he took the British boat.
His passport was issued to him in
France an American citizen, and
when 1T became necessary for him to
have another passport to return to
France, that, too, was issued to him
as an American citizen. He is we'll
known as an economist and desired
to establish, on behalf of the French
government, direct connection be-
tween the government and American
manufacturers, thus cutting out the
middle men
some of his CHnmercial enemies have
framed this charge up against him.
in view of the fact that we are now
working on d basis which will involve
the purchase by France OF more than
$20,000,000 worth of commodities.
''1f any Of his trunks are involved
in the charges against him. l can say
the direction of Mr.. Hooper, his Amer
lean partner. l myself attended to
the packing Of three Of them while
Mr.. Mohr looked after others"