The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-04-06
CONDEMN ALIEN CREW, BUT
WON'T SHIP THEMSELVES
White Sailors Idle on the Front Refuse to Sign
Aboard SewaI Ship, but Criticize Astral
for Taking japanese.

/ But a little while ago there was a
howl along the waterfront among
American and European sailors be-
cause Captain Durham of the Ameri-
can ship Astral, owned by the Stand
ard Oil Company, shipped crew of
twenty-four Japanese.
What manner of man is this?" they
diligently inquired, who ignores the
presence on the beach, without jobs and
without money, of over half a hundred
seamen of the United States and the
states of Europe and ireland, and
deliberately selects aliens, Japanese,
knowing that he is risking trouble with
the immigra ton aalthorities at New
York on arrival, and all because he
wants to save money for John D.
Rockefeller and thinks perhaps he will
have to deport the Japanese from New
York. and since he is going from New
York TO the Orient, has an idea that
he will thus get a crew to work his
ship from the Atlantic coast to the
Far East for nothing"
For the last four days the white men
who are sailors and who. are walking
the waterfront waiting for a chance
TO ship, have read a sign on black
board at the office of United states
Shipping Commissioner H. N. Amy.
'swANTED-20 men for the ship Ed
ward Sewali."
Here was their chance. Captain Quick
wanted white men. He told Shipping
Commissioner Amy that he wanted
white men, an. ali-white crew. Joe Gill
man. local representative for the SewaH
ships, also announced that. a white
crew was wanted, and Commissioner
Amy told ali inquiring sailors that the
Edward Sewau was anxious to get a
white crew and get it quick.
White sailors passed by the sign ey-
cry day, looked at it, laughed and
would tell other mariners about it that
they, too, might pass it by and laugh.
They roared because a windjammer
shipped a Japanese crew and when
twenty white men We're wanted they
would not ship
There were several little hold-up
propositions attempted butt Captain
Quick was not fooled by any Of them.
One man. who claimed to be part
ner of a shipping master. went to Cap
tain Quick Saturday evening and said
he had thirty good seamen up at his
place and he would come through if
he and the master could come to terms,
the infereneesn laeang~e.tshat-st the captain
must paw a price for each man he got
aboard ship The captain invited him
10 change MS course.
The annauncelnentswa made that the
Edward sewall would sign a crew at
10 o'clock saturday morning, but not q
white sailor was n sight at the office
of the Shipping Commissioner at that
time. Outside the Office were several
Filipinos, japanese. Hawaiians, Mexi-
cans and Porto Ricans. The Sailors
Home sent. a man or two up to sign,
but the white sailors on the beach were
evidently all looking for opportunities
10 go in coasting ships at $40 per month.
instead of round the Horn at S25 per
month. although they nowled when
Durham took japanese.
Joe Gilman and Shipping Commits
siouer Amy We're compelled to be at
the Shipping Commissioner office all
day yesterday and Iave IN the after
noon a complete crew was obtained,
although the captain would have liked
70 secure a couple more men.
The ships articles, when Amy got
through with them. showed six Japa-
nese. seven Hawaiians. eight Ameri-
cans, a Frenchuan. three FiHpinos and
two MaSicans.
The Japanese are all good sailors,
having had several months experience
aboard the Commercial Pacific Cable
Company's cableship Restorer which
used to be stationed here. They had
their honorable discharges and there
VIII be no difficulty about their going
ashore in Atlantic coast ports. They