The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-04-18
SAILORS OBJECT TO
DISCRETION LAW.
Bill Doing Away With Arrest Of Sea-
Man Blocked in House Committee
Pass if Put Before Congress
ORIENTALs MAY GAIN sEAPOWER
Holland Offers Itself as International
Sanctuary-Would Provide Neutral
Ground For All Future Wars

= By Congressman c. H. Tavenner.
Washington, April 1S.-On April
9Th two years had passed since the
Titanic sank to the bottom of the At
lantic carrying 1,517 human beings
with her What has been the re-
suit of the agitation which this
great disaster aroused? Wireless
has been installed on a few vessels;
more and larger lifeboats are carried.
But in the skill and number Of
sailors carried to handle these boats
there has been an actual decrease.
The present maritime laws, permit
ting legalized peonage by the ar
rest and Imprisonment of deserving
sailors, are rapidly driving skilled
sailors from the sea. In the next
Titanic disaster there may be life.
boats a-plenty But if the sea is
rough, or if launching conditions are
at all difficult, the doomed ship may
as well carry no lifeboats at all, if
the stewards and walters who are
now called upon in emergencies to
be sailors are unable to handle these
boats
The remedy lies with Congress
in the LaFollette Bill. This is the
bill advocated by Andrew Furuseth,
the Legislative representative of the
seamen's union. It abolishes arrest
for desertion and compels vessels to
carry a certain quota of skilled sail
ors, the test of skill to be three full
years of apprentice service before the
sailor can get articles of seamanship.
But something seems to have hap
pened to block this measure. In
the last Congress the House passed it,
thereby going on record in it's favor.
1t was blocked in the Senate. Dur
ing this session the Senate has pass
ed it, and now the delay is in the
House committee, which has the bill
under consideration.
The block seems to be the new in
ternational tready adapted by the re-
cent London conference on safety at
sea- This treaty is now before the
Senate The conference at London
agreed that the arrest for desertion
must be continued by treaties be-
tween the nations. This is the crux
of the whole affair. AS long as sail
ors can be impressed into service,
vessel owners will continue to hire
crews at ports where the lowest
wages in the world prevail. Abolish
arrest, and the wages of the highest
wage ports will be paid on all the
seas.
President Wilson sent Andrew
Furuseth as a delegate to the Lon
don conference. This gaunt, sad
Norwegian was the only sailor who
was a member of the conference.
When he saw that the conferees were
agreed upon the infamous arrest for
desertion he cabled his resignation to
the President. And in place of this
rough sea-faring man the President
appointed Senator James Hamilton
Lewis, of Illinois.
Can Congress at this date recede
from it's position of hostility toward
the arrest Of seamen for desertiOn
simply because this London confer
ence has 50 decreed? If Congress
does so act, many believe it will
seal the doom of the white sailors.
It will put the world seapower in the
hands of orientals it is declared, and
the white sailor will be no more
My prediction is that If the House
committee let's this bill out the
House will pass it with a rush, and
that arrest for desertion will be abol
ished in American ports.
Holland Offers International Sanctu.
airy
The little kingdom of Holland
without a strong navy or the means
to build one offers itself as a sane
tuary for the big, armed brawlers
among the nations. The propose
is made by DR.. H. w. VanLoon, tht
Dutch historian, who is in, Washing
ton. DR.. VanLoon proposes thai
since it is impossible for Holland tt
attempt to keep up in the race O.
nations for the largest armament!
that Holland be declared neutra
ground for all future wars, offerins
safety to war vessels of other ma
lions.