New-York tribune., 1919-12-22
America Sailors DEFY
Officers, Fight, Cam
BILE and Try to Go
Ashore Without Leave
Disorder Charged
To1. W. W. Agitator
Lockers Looted, Two
Women 1mperiled, Pis-
tolls Stolen, III i'm Brig

tO1S OtOIcn, LII III Brig
Although the transport America was
selected to bring home the remnant of
the American peace delegates from
Paris, the vessel, which arrived from
brest on Saturday night and dockcd in
Hoboken yesterday, was anything but
peace ship on her last voyage to
France.
Charges of mutiny, insubordination
and other offenses were brought against
the crew, and eleven alleged ringlead-
ers, including two petty officers, were
in the brig yesterday.
1t was learned last night that six
men suffering from gunshot wounds are
in the ships hospital, but it is not
known whether they were shot while
resisting officers or in fighting with
others of the crew
A general hearing and investigation
will be held aboard the ship day, and
at its close recommendations for a
court martial will be made.
Trouble had been brewing on the
America for several trips, and inspec-
tors were put aboard on her last de-
parture from New York to observe
what was going on.
l. w. w. Agitation on Board
One of the alarming discoveries
made by the inspectors was the fact
that an I. w. w. agitator had become
one of the crew and was the evil in
f1uence that drove some to the verge
of mutiny.
A report of the happenings aboard
from November 10 to the time Of the
Amerlca's arrival yesterday was re-
corded on twenty typewriter pages.
spirit Of gambling, chiefly craps,
spread throughout the vessel and when
efforts were made to- break up the
games the first resistance on the part
of the crew became manifest.
Inspectors Cunningham and Dale, of
the Port of Embarkation, who obtained
the evidence against the offenders, got
their first glimpse of INSTRUMENTATION
on November l9 when Captain E. R.
Feamster, an infantry Officer, caught
group of men playing craps in The
forecastle. He ordered the men to quit
and they informed him they would do
as they pleased and that he would bet
ter run along" and mind his own
business.
Women Passengers Threatened
Two days later three men we're sent
to the brig for trying to creep through
window into statcroom occupied by
two women passengers, wives of army
officers, who were on their way to ioin
their husbands with the American army
of occupation at Coblenz.
The women, becoming hysterical, at
tracted the attention of the guard, who
apprehended the intrudcrs and put
them in the brig.
Several days later craps game was
reported in full blast in the galley, and
master at arms was sent to break it
up. He ordered the men to stop the
game, and was informed by one of the
cooks that nearly every one on the
ship would have to be arrested, as
Everybody was shooting craps"
20 ahead and pinch u.s." said the
cook to the master at arms, "and YOU
won't have any one to run the ship or
to cook for you"
Army Pistols Found
information reached the master on
December l that large percentage of
the crew was armed with automatic pis-
tolls, and a roundup was made quickly.
A dozen pistols were found upon the
suspected men or in their baggage, and
the weapons were confscated. 1t was
said that the pistols had been stolen
from officers of the A. Z. F. who had
returned to New York on the America
on previous trips.
Trouble was encountered later at
Brest when the agitators and ringlcad-
ers informed the men that they should
have longer liberty than was being
granted. There had been rows and
fights ashore, and the blame was
charged to the crew of the America.
The chief embar%ation officer at Bres.
advised Captain Ford Of the America
to restrict shore leave, and when this
rcstrict:o- was put into effect tho ring
leaders informed the petty officers that
they would go ashore if they had to
fight every inch of the way"
When the guard was doubled the
wouldbe mutinecrs changed their tao
than to force.
Fifty Forced Back to Ship
At dusk on December a fifty rebel /
lious cooks, seamen and coal trimmers
secreted themselves in a water barge
that had come alongside the trans
port, but were forced back aboard the
be shot if they disobeyed. dozen of
this group finally did get ashore in a
lifeboat after dark
Curtailment of shore liberty cnraged /
many in the freroom, and information (
reached the captain Of the America /
that these disturbers had plotted to
let the fires die in the hope of killing /
the power that drove the dynamos. |
With all lights out, they thought it
would be an easy matter to get ashore
under cover of darkness
Almost daily the better element
aboard the ship reported that their
lockers had been broken open and cloth
ing and small articles of value stolen.
An ordinary seaman was caught pilfer-
ing a locker and when taken before the
captain boasted he was ringleader and
was proud of his job.
In his pocket was found member
ship card of the |. ". W. and litcra ture
of that organization. He was promptly
put into the lrig. but was released by
a confederate He was reported as
missing on December Is, but was found
hiding in the hold when the America
reached her pier yesterday. He and
six other ringleaders were then put in