New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-27

Americas coming development OF mer.
chant shipping in big units to solve, or
il may be taken up as fac. and or
ganized in the national interest
twenty-five year. ago only 10 per
ent Of the crews Of the United States
Navy were Americans We now have
practically a 100 per cent American
navy. To-day, according to Andrew
Furuseth, head of the international
Seamen's Union of America, only y
per cent of sailors on American mer'
chant ships are Americans. AnyoocI
who has pictured what American ms'
chant marine" we had as Ameresi
ships manned by American sailors W.
mistaken. Our ships are oyerWneh'
ingly manned by floating foreign lseoL
On August l there were 6,0eo snssI
aliens employed on American shlps ~
the most part in the engine rooms ~
measure Of precaution, hmeha'
ships that pass through me PANAMA
Canal are stopped before they snol,
and enemy alien sailors IN ''...
are taken of and sent across ~
Isthmus by rail, in order TO avola v.
danger of having ships pass 'nf0's'
with them aboard.
The labor on most American "ssv
ing ships is floating labor IN NE '.as
shat il does not stay on any one Mt
The majority Of the sailors on An,,,
can merchant ships sign only in ~
one voyage and are on diheren' 49,
few days after returning 70 -
Thus we have a merchant mar
manned by crews the majority OF Nn..
have no particular fealty eitneI
country or ship. They can hardy 1'''
their ship or their oihcers'
The Seamen's Act
There appear to be two policies w. =,
may be adopted by US, nati0hAi.i a.,
the future manning OF our metS ;a.
marine. One contemplstes eoh.'h"
ton and extension Of the present y.
ten of having crews o. indiserlnl....,.
nationality on our growing NEE tnJ,5
marine. This policy IS no" e Tn"t az
in the present seamen's act I" 80.
was written by the supposedly -
ican sailors unions, and Mr.. fufu'.,.
in a recently published pamphlet sp ca,
with great pride OF the nations. vs.y..
created in II. The seamen's ae. s,r;t
an American sailor the rlghl xs,r
his ship and compels the snip 80 80 in
10 paw him half the wages due n.v
anv port making illegal any CON- u,'J
he NAV sign before shipping ihats ~,
otherwise hold him. II gives 80, 10
on foreign ships the rignt 70 W.
any American port and dem ls i.1rl.
nav also collecting the RESI- .,i
multiplying all treaties by ~nlen he
other nations heretofore pre''"
desertion Of sailors. s,.
Mr.. Furuseth claims this as 80,
structive American policy, nov 1 as,,Is
to give sailors rights out y 1, Ard
foreign sailors for American my ,sir
raise the standards OF pay on 'g a,,,r.
ships also. By deserving IN an h,
lean port TO get American was.;r
SAYS. the foreign sailors iore. a., 4.
ships 70 pay higher wages. III, tn
the mere rate OF wages goes, ",,lonsl
been the result, during the e. r,, into
times since the sesmen's act es1 Oxr,r,
existence. Some American shIp - M
do not hesitate to agree WV. 10.
Furnseth so far. But they 90 IN,
agree with him in regarding W ether
as a wholesome American p0'.eyl q
as way Of obtaining sof ;rr The
sailors or as way Of inereas n.yic
GENERATING cost Of the merehan, mh,r
~ cher countries TO the leve,
W. We NAV evenly compete with them ,;,..
Ii would fasten upon the .r,v srd
merchant marine the mongIe' ...niss.
make more difficult the Ame :, IL 70
ton of American shipping, lag 70
great help to American sniPpsn,,ic
have the individual wages o. Ia.
saHe ~" nut M as high as the a', =.
we pay, If fantastic IImeriss'
main in the law by which 81 -, nsr,
shin must carry LOT OF usea .n viii
while the foreign ships sam .r q
smaller crews, and il the numI %
American boys permitted 70 So D.
ann shin, is limited by HAVING .ss
ps proportions Of liable ',, ,ss' 81.
and Of apprentices and ord III. ,uuisrs
men fixed in the law 10 sur '"s ..r.sss
IL is understood that the 81, ss,.
unions have consented 20 ..,s Il
nension during the war OF s.,sl .
,h.ss limitations, having thrss,sy,csiug
boycott OF American s.e63
At this critical time II the 49, =
act we're nodded In sny w {,