New-York tribune., 1919-07-21
Believe Losses of Ship
owners Will Fore c
Them 10 Meet Terms
of Seanlcn or Walkou:
Would Ask British Aid
Labor Leaders Believe That
Crisis Is Near and
Settlement Can Be Fixed

officials Of the international Sea-
mems Union look for settlement to-
day in the marine strike that has tied
up millions in coastwise and overseas
commerce for twelve days.
Engineers on the Clyde liner Huron
walked out last night when nonunion
tremen entered the engine room 20
take places of strikers. The engineers
are not on strike, but arc under IN
structions to support the tiremen and
oilers, according to Gus II. Brown, sec
RETRY Of the international Seamen' 5
Union. who announced the action OF
the Huron's engineers. II. II. Ray
mond, president Of the Clyde Line, also
is pres dent Of the American Steamship
Association, the strikers opponents.
The scamen are firm in their stand
that recognition Of their demands is
the only means Of building up a real
American merchant marine. They can
stay out indefinitely, they say, since
the workers are losing dollars where
the ship owners are losing thousands.
Mr. Brown said if no compromise is
made at to-day's meeting of the Ameri-
can Steamship Association, the union
will Immediately cable an appeal to
similar labor organizations in Great
Britain.
Union, the Dockers Union and the
Cooks and Stewards Union, all British
organizations, will not only offer moral
support, but will prohibit their mem
bers from working on ships in English
ports that are employing strikebreak-
ers, Mr.. Brown said.
Warming to Other Ports
John II. Pruitt, president OF the
Masters, Mates and Pilots Association,
sent letter to the various branches in
American ports instructing the men,
bers mot to sail with strike breaking
crews, nor allow them selves to be used
N any way to assist strike breakers"
Another order was issued from the
strike headquarters warning men on or
off picket lines not to carry weapons,
and to have any one arrested who
should attempt to molcst them. This
| followed a conference between union
officials and their attorneys at which
the legal phases Of Saturdays riotinG
in Brooklyn were discussed w. B.
Rubin, general counsel for the union
and s. B. Axtell, the local attorney, will
ascertain whether or not a suit can be
brought against the parties responsible
for the shooting Of Bryant Herring, a
young Texas striker.
Advices from New Orleans to the
strike headquarters showed that eighty
three ships were tied up N that port
Fifteen ships Of a Norwegian line oper-
ating between Central American ports
New Orleans and Europe signed agree.
ments with t>e union and were prepar-
ing to sail with qualified crews, Tho
telegram stated. Some of the American
companies which have signed agree
ments in New York include the Brooks
Steamship Corporation, the french-
American Line the Foreign Transport
and Mercantile Corporation and the
Cuba Distilling Company.
Says Loss Is Huge
Mr.. Brown said of the attitude of
the ship owners: "They can't con
learned they are losing $5,OO0,O0O a
day in New York. This would more
than pay them for the SIS monthly
increase the seamen ask. The money
they lose in being tied up to the piers
cannot be recovered.
"They were glad to recognize ou:
union during the war. We spent
money out of our own pockets to help
out. We want to put the American
won't have it. They violate the La
Toilette seaman act, in the first place
by employing men who can't speak
English, and they don't hire the re-
quirod number of certified seamen. AT
our last meeting we reminded them OF
how they depended on us during the
last four years, and they sad That
was the war; it's different now Many
of the American boys we got into the
service are becoming disgusted and
are leaving for inland towns. They
tell us our promise Of settlement IS
'humbug,' and it is problematical #
they will return"
Officers Of the American Steamship
Association said they would not EN-
ploy strikebreakers and would rather
have the ships idle than hire this
class. 1t was announced by II. z
Griffin, president Of the Cooks anc
Stewards Union, that the cooks anc
stewards were new 100 per cent in tn,
> strike.