The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-08-27
American Prisoners
in Russia.
LOUISE BRYANT TELLS HOW
THEY FARE.

Recent press reports have carried
many wild stories of Soviet mistreat-
ment of American prisoners in Rus
sia' Especially vicious were the state
ments in the New York Times which
were attributed to Captain Fitzpatrick,
calculated to prove the Soviets had
treated American prisoners inhumane-
ly thru lack Of food.
The following letter of Louise
Bryant, wife Of Comrade John Reed,
to the Times, throws considerable
doubt upon the veracity Of these
reports in the bourgeois press.
The Bryant Letter.
l read with some astonishment the
dispatch from Riga today in which
my name is mentioned. May l be per-
'mitted a word Of explanation?
| was not in Russia in any political
capacity, but as correspondent for
Universal Service (tEe Hearst news
service). had queries from my
papers regarding American prisoners
and asked permission Of the Soviet
Government to visit them. Permission
was very difficult to obtain, and after
weeks Of waiting | was given permis-
sion to visit Andronovski Lagar,
where Captain Fitzpatrick was detain-
ed at that time. was accompanied
by Henry Alsberg Of The London
Daily Herald and an official who had
orders for the release of several Fin
nish prisoners. Fitzpatrick states that
! arrived accompanied by the entire
staff Of the Foreign Office"
Almost as soon as we began to talk
to Fitzpatrick he began to tell us how
worried he was about his friend
Cooper. had never heard of Cooper
at that time, but tried to assure him
by reminding him that no American
prisoners were ever executed in Rus
sia. The camp where Fitzpatrick was
imprisoned was once an old monas-
terry. 1t was beautiful place and
had lovely old garden The prisoners
were allowed to go about quite freely
from room to room.
From his own mouth learned that
he was getting much better food and
a larger amount than those outside.
Also he had fuel, while | lived in an
unheated room. was very glad to
learn that the Americans were treated
so well and sent a wire home to that
effect. II an article was ~prihted-jjsl.
Isvestia it must have been a quota
tion from my wire. Russian papers
often quote from American comments
on Russia.
After leaving the prison camp, and
upon Kilpatrick's request, / included
in my wire the names Of Senator
Bankhead and Kilpatrick's foster
mother, both of Alabama, because he
was anxious for them to know his
whereabouts. / had to ask permission
of the Foreign Office to do this, and
|
it was granted. That was all could
do. Personally, / regarded Fitzpatrick
mammals boy" who ought never
to have ventured so far from home.
But in order to prove that / have
no prejudices in this matter / quote
from the current number of The New
York Nation, an article by Louis Gam
nett. Speaking of American prisoners
in Russia, he says: "They are the
best fed people in Moscow" And of
Fitzpatrick in particular he writes:
"Emmet Fitzpatrick, for instance, on
June Z received two cans Of corned
beef, two of prime beef. one of pork
and beans, two pounds of bacon, a
half pound Of butter, quarter of
pound of cocoa, one can Of sweetened
and one of unsweetened milk, salt,
vinegar. etc. This was two weeks sup
Elementary ration in addition to the
regular prison diet | saw his letter
acknowledging receipt"
LOUISE BRYANT.
New York, Aug. l2, 1921.