The Washington times., 1920-12-22
.REDSPY TRAPS
.MRS.HARRiSON
Baltimore Woman in Moscow
Prison Victim Of intrigue,
Says Man Freed.

NEW YORK, Dec. 22.-Mrs. Mar
guerite Il. Harrison, OF Baltimore,
American newspaper woman, impris-
oned In Moscow, fell victim to the
intricate soviet spy system, Jacob
Ii. Rubin, OF Milwaukee, said yester-
day.
STILL HELD IN JAZZ.
Rubin is a business man and one
II ne Socialist, who has arrived her
after ten-months' stay in Soviet
Russia. He added that Mrs. Harrison
was only one of eight Americans in
iail at MOSCOW, with no signs OF re-
lease.
nubin, in his stay in Russia. met
Mrs. Harrison frequently. lie told his
story OF Americans In Russia as one
OF intrigue.
Mrs. Harrison was doing welfare
work for the American prisoners, in
addition to her newspaper work,
Rubin said. when we heard Van
dcrlip was coming we all cheered
Naturally, we thought IL was Frank
A. Vanderbilt. We all thought that at
last we would be released.
I'VE appointed a committee to visit
Nanderlip.' Rubin said. THE com
nittee included Mrs. Harrison. That,
| might explain, was when Nanderlip
just arrived. The committee reported
10 me that he gave them cigarettes
and that was all the aid they could
get from him"
Rubin explained that thirty-twC
Americans were in Moscow at ths'
time. He and Mrs. Harrison had been
arrested then freed. but neither OF
them was permitted to leave the city
80 that virtually they were prisoners.
Two days after Rubin left Moscow
Mrs Harrison was arrested again
The other twenty-four Americans
we're classified as workers ana 20
were allowed their liberty
Speaking of Mrs. Harrison's arres',
Rubin explained that in every hotel
in Moscow lives at least one spy
Such an individual, he said. "seou
ously cultivated the acquaintance OF
Mrs. Harrison. | warned her agains'
him, but she thought he Was friendly
and would go TO theatcrs with him
and talk with him.
MRS. Harrison was doing news
paper work. For this purpose she VS.
tied the foreign department every
day. 1t Is absolutely untrue that she
worked for the American State De-
partment. But a member OF the for
eign department told me that there
were two reasons for her arrest
strange reasons at that, One was tnat
she was employed by the State Dc
partment; the other that she was
employed by the Bolshcviki as a spy.
They charged that she had misrepre-
scented herself to get this position.
know both charges are absolutely
ridiculous.
Mrs. Harrison's only crime was her
whole hearted work for the American
prisoners. She gave much time to the
collection OF clothing and food for the
prisoners and had the respect and ad-
mir alton Of every American there"
VANDERBILT HARD TO SEE.
Rubin said w. Il. Eanderlip pos
sessed practically the status of a
soviet official. To see him the out
slider was compelled to obtain a per-
NIT from the soviet foreign depart
ment
"Vanderlip was as inaccessible as
Trotzky. To see him one had to get a
permit from the foreign department
spent three days in an effort to get
to him. His position was most pc
cuIiar, in view Of the fact that he was
an American.
Il want to deny right here that
Vanderlip ever released any prison.
ers. That is not true. What he. said
there was that the Moscow prisons
were much better than the American
Vanderlip, in Russia, was a privil-
eyed character. He had access to
everyone He was treated royalty,
But he did not have the confidence
of Americans"