New-York tribune., 1918-12-04
British, Sean1en
Demand Trial
OF Ex-kaiser
Will Strike Unless Former
Emperor Gets Deserts,
English Organizer Says

Unless William Hohenzollern is
placed on trial for his crimes within
reasonable time, England faces a gen
eral seamen's strike.
This became known in New York yes
terday when Edward Tupper, national
organizer of the National Sailors and
Firemen's Union of Great Britain, de-
clared that unless the former Kaiser
'is placed on trial for his crimes be-
fore an international court by a GER
tain date the seamen's union will take
definite action on their own account"
"What form will that action take ?"
reporter asked.
II leave that to you to judge" re-
piled Captain Tupper. 81 cannot tell
you. You may judge for yourself
what action any union might take.
/ Neither can l tell you what date has
been fixed as time in which he must
be prosecuted"
Captain Tupper, who is the lieuten-
ant of j. Havelock Wilson, NJ. p, the
fighting head Of the British seamen's
organizations, is in this country in re-
sponse to a cabled appeal from the
American Defence oSciety that Mr..
Wilson come here or send represent
tativa to explain to the American peo-
pie why the seamen of England have
placed a seven-year boycott on Ger
many and German material.
Prior to seeing the reporters yester-
day Captain Tupper had a conference
with Andrew Furuseth, president of the
Seamen's Union, with whom, he SAID,
there is perfect understanding. This
Mr.. Furuseth confirmed later in the
day, when in announcing his intention
of sailing for England on the Maure-
tania tomorrow he said he was going
with the purpose Of fully cooperating
with J. IIavelock Wilson in matters
pertaining to the welfare OF seamen
of that country and the United States
Captain Tupper made it clear that
the enmity Of British seamen TO Ger
man seamen and German goods was not
/ he, until they chared the news that
900 British seamen had been murdered
/ on the Lusitania that we were forced
10 recognize that a person once Ger
man is always a German and act ac
cordingly"
Then, Captain Tupper said, the boy
cott OF two years on Germany fol-
ioWed, IN the natural course of events,
aodluonal crimes on the high seas,
with an additional month for each Of
fence until the total of seven wears
was reached
"All in all, we know of 1900 of our
men who were murdered, he said"
For them we demand reparation and
atonement. We make no soueal Of
anything that happens to the $4,000
men we have in the navy or its auxil-
iaries. War is war. and it is part of
the navy mans job to kill or be killed
The boycott is not for those of the
navy that have been killed. 1t is for
the $4,000 who we're murdered in de-
fiance Of all international law and all
law of the seas
"In our union we have 25O,00O mem
bers. We have the backing of 1l0OO,-
900 trade unionsts in England They
are with us because they understand
the crimes against US. Your people
will be, when they understand 1t is
that you may understand, that the
women of America may know, that we
come. 1t is to the women that we
make our real appeal They purchase
Is per cent Of the goods bought They
viii not stand for murder, though /
understand some of your shop keepers
are not so particular.
"Ninety-five per cent of the labor in
England is loyal and sound and is with