The Washington herald., 1920-05-19
BOYS ENSLAVED
BY COAST SHIPS
Americans Shanghaied d to
Work IN Alaskan
Canneries.
ARE MADE DRUG FIENDS
Labor Commissioner Asks
u. S. to Take Drastic
Action.
ARE MADE DRUG FIENDS

In spite of all laws to the con-
trary, Americans are still being
shanKhaied and forced into virtual
slavery on ships that ply the Pa
cific coast.
Men and boys. drugged to help
lessness, beaten over the head until
all resistance Is gone. duped by
promises of big pay and easy work,
are daily carried unto ships which
forthwith set sail for parts un-
known
On these ships white men are forced
to eat, live and sleep with negroes,
Chinese, Hindus and MexicansJ most
of them dope fends" who are too
far gone to care for their surround
ings-
Meat which would never pass in
spection of the health authorities,
beans mildsved with age, and water
scarcely drinkable, are fed to these
men, who dare not resist II they
protest, they are beaten by Chinese
with clubs, and forced down into
dark holds where they 60 unfed for
days
Unspeakable ConditlonA
These and conditions even worse,
have been brought to light in San
Francisco by the mutiny of sixty
fye boy labor recruits on board the
barkentine McLaurin, Just before
she sailed for the Alaskan canneries-
Stories of promises made them
that they were going to Alaska to
work in the mines where they would
receive big pay; stories of drugs ad-
ninistered that they might not rea-
lie the conditions under which they
sailed; stories of 200 white men
crowded into q small hold. already
occupied by opium smoking China
men; of one bucket In which 225
men were expected to wash; Of in
describable filth, in which the pigs,
kept in q pen on deck, Jared better
than the men, and of hop heads.
opium smokers, wrecks of men,
packed together with slim, clear
eyed boys. seeking red-blooded ad-
venture. are being told to the State
Labor Commission. who have or
dered a general investigation.
And this is only example of a sys-
tenn common on the entire Pacific
coast, says Commissioner John Nc
Laughlin, who says the commission
is powerless to remedy conditions
under present Federal law.
U. $. Has Had Complaints
II have complained time and
again to the Federal authorities,
but the matter is always passed
up" says Mclaughlin. This is an
old and sordid story on the Pacific
Coast. 1t happens year after year.
Men are lured to these jobs in
Alaska, herded and housed like
beasts.
Il have heard unspeakable stories
from these ships. 1t is time the
Federal government took a hand
and put a stop to this thing" !
% The revelation of conditions was
brought about by the escape from
the McLaurin of Leroy johnson,
20. former University of Denver
student. who. unable longer to stand
conditions on the ship, escaped
from his guards and jumped over
board.
Picked up by q launch just as
he was about to sink from ex-
haustion, he was taken immediate
ly to the police where he told his
story. Reserves were dispatched
to the Alaskan vessel and sixty
FIVE men, prisoners against their
will. were removed. The remainder
of the crew, drug addicts to a man,
chose to remain where they were
rather than move.
Members OF the party taken from
the ship say that opium and NOR
phine were supplied in large guam
titles to those desiring them.
The noises made by these hop
heads were horrible" describes
Eugene Williamson, a Montana cow
boy, who had been induced to
board the vessel on a promise of
exciting adventure in the wiIds of
Alaska
Continual calls Of the men for
hop kept me awake all night.
They rolled there in their opium
smoke until the rest Of US were in
a stupor. When We started to com
plain they beat US down into the
hold. II ire had broken out we
would have died like rats. There
were 225 Of US in that one little
room"
Men Hired BY Chinese.
Complaint has been filed against
a Chinese employment agency in
Los Angeles where the men were
secured Owners of the ship, In