New-York tribune., 1920-08-28
$500 LongshoremenJoin
Baltic's Crew in Effort
to Force Britain to Let
Prelate Enter Ireland
Demand Freedom
For MacSwenev
Irish Women Agitators
Urge Walk-Out; Threat
to Tie Up English Ships

q
The White Star liner Baltic, which
left New York nearly month ago with
rchbishop Mannix aboard, causing a
disturbance at the pier, returned to
port yesterday from Liverpool and
brought with her the n:akings of a
general water front strike. It was esti-
mated last night that $500 longshore-
men had Joined the Baltic crew in a
pledge not to work until Great Britain
had permitted the Australian prelate
to go to Ireland and had freed Mavor
MacSweney Of Cork.
One hundred and fifty of the Bal
tics oilers, stokers and trimmers came
ashore yesterday with the announce
ment that they would tie up all British
shipping from the Gulf to Portland
Maine, unless Britain permitted Arch
bishop Mannix to visit his aged
mother. SN
They had little difficulty in gaining
support for their strike, as the long
shoremen were with them in spirit
ever since the Baltic sailed for Liver
pool with the pro Irish clergymen. The
empers Of resentment needed only a
tiny flame to set them off into blaze,
Irish Agitators Greet Them
TINS spark was forthcoming the mo-
ment the firemen came ashore. AS
they emerged from the White Star pier
out into "the farm" in West Street thew
were greeted by comely Irish-American
women carrying banners protesting
against "the British assassination Of
Mayor McCurtain" and the slow death
by starvation that Mayor MacSweney
is undergoing in Brixton Prison.
Throughout the week the young
lrlsh-Amerlca women had been pa
rading with their banners of protest
before the British Consulate, in White
hall Street. The women shifted their
base yesterday to a more fruitful field
along the Chelsea piers. With the aid
of the Baltic's firemen they had en-
listed the sympathy and support of
longshoremen at every part of the
river front in the strike movement.
Just why the men of the Baltic did
not quit the vessel in Liverpool has not
been clearly explained. 1t was said by
one of them that they had signed for
the round trip and that they wished to
live up to their agreement. Another
version was that strike here would
be more effective and, though 5000
miles away from London, would pro-
woke stronger protest to Lloyd George
than any similar sentiment that could
be aroused at home.
The labor leaders in charge of the
local longshoremeE's union made it
clear last night that the strike was un-
authorized and was neither sanctioned
nor recognized by the union. They ad-
mitted, however, that the union as n
whole was in sympathy with the Irish
cause.
The union men said they would see
that American mail was expeditiously
put aboard and taken from British
ships, to which it had been consigned.
The strikers maintained that they were
"strictly loyal American" in spirit and
that nothing rejecting on or inter
fering with American mail would suf-
fer by their walkout.
Baltic Firemen Wear U. S. Flag
Many of the fire room workers of
the Baltic wore small American flags
on their coats as they came ashore
yesterday to protest against the in
justice of Britain.
Representatives of the striking long
shoremen SAID last night that their
strike was aimed at British shipping
and would affect no other lines. nh IS,
however, left unexplained the refu sal
of the men to work on the ships Of
the French Line, which lie between the
Cunard and White Star Line piers.
An official Of the union said yastec-
day that three shifts of eighty men
each would work on the Baltic until al
her mail cargo was removed. The rest
of her cargo, they said, would remain
by union men until Arch
bishop Mannix was permitted to enter
Ireland.
Just what effect the strike will have
upon the outbound feet to-day is
matter of conjecture.
Olympic VIII Sail on Time
The Olympic, it is understood, will
60 out at 4 p. m. on schedule. She is
loaded and has full cargo Of oil fuel
for the round trip to Southampton.
Only the baggage of passengers re-
mains to be put aboard, and this will
be handled without difficulty by the
office force of the International Mer-
camille Marine Company and the stew
ards of the ship. The Celtic, for Liv-
erpool, probably will get away late,
Line, and the Red Star liners Finland
and Gothland.
The Cunard Line announced yester-
day that the Aquitania is virtually
complete in her loading and will get
away on time. The Pannonia, of the
same line, bound for the Levant. prob
ably will be delayed.
The Irish women pickets made pub
lie the following copy of a cablegram
which they said they had sent to
Lloyd George:
"The sound of death in the throat
of Terence MacSweney is the death
knell of your adventure in Ireland.
We hear the bell toiling. The people
are gathering. Oil your tanks Pol
ish up your guns"
Perograd in Ferment;