The New York herald., 1921-05-04

replied. well. you'd better go back
The few sons of the sea who ventured
through this line of outposts did SO IN
taxicabs, which were said 10 De TUT
nished by the ship owners. one youth
"signed on" so fast that he forgot ne
hadn't told his mother he was OFT 10
Europe. Give me the pnone numper
and I'll phone her. said ships offlcer.
and that was done.
At 4:3O p. M. the Old North State left
the pier. She anchored in the North
River off Castle Point, Hoboken, how
ever 1t looked as II the owners did not
want to take any chance or losing the
crew they already had, and therefore
took the vessel to a spot where nobody
could get away and where enough men
70 fill up the crew could be taken rfoIn
the shore In tugs. Officers or the snip
said the only men needed were cooks,
and they expected to get these so the
ship could start for Europe in the course
OF the evening.
Officers of seamen's unions regard
everv man who signed on the Old North
State after p. NJ. last Sunday, the hour
OF tire etrke call, as disloyal TO the
unio Is. /, is true that the ID per cent
wage cut decreed by the owners has
been waived 80 far as this round trip
voyage is concerned, but the union offi-
GERS hold that after the strike was or
dered no man had a right to sign up at
any wage until an agreement had been
reached and sanctioned by the heads of
the unions.
Potomac Awaits Passengers.
The Potomac, companion ship of the
Old North State, was scheduled to sail
yesterday afternoon, but did not The
explanation Of the owners Is that she
was held up so that 400 passengers who
were on the way from the West and had
been delayed on the railroads could get
aboard. 1t was announced that the Po-
tomac will probable sail to-day for
Dantzig. Her immobility yesterday was
acclaimed by the unions as victory for
them.
The unions set up a claim yesterday
morning that members of the crew of
the Potomac were being imprisoned on
the ship by detectives so that they could
not join the strike. That charge was
made by Gus Brown. spokesman of the
seamen. and Oscar Carson, spokesman
for the f1remen, at the Continental Ho-
TEL where the general war board OF the
strikers meet. Investigators who went
to the pier found that members Of the
crew were going on the pier without him
drance and talking with their union
ana the engineroom force left the ship
In their civilian clothes.
In reply to the charge that members
Of the Potomac's crew were being held
by force the United States Mail Steam
ship Company said:
The crew were placed under twelve
day quarantine by the United States
Public Health authorities on its arrival
at the port of New York on April 26,
hn eo ocff haf nf
she had touched was Danzig. where
there is no representative Of the United
States health service.
"F'ollowing this action, Or. l.. Il.
Cofer. Health Officer of the Port of
New York, was asked to permit the
vessel to tie up at Pier n (foot of West
Thirty-fourth street,. In order that nee
essary repairs be made and other urgent
matters attended to. He agreed to do
this provided the company had the ship
guarded against escape OF the crew.
while a number of guards were pro-
vided, fifty of our men have escaped 80
far, the guards having been overpow-
cred. OF those who escaped twelve, ap-
parently lonely or hungry, have re-
turned, but thirty-eight are still at
large. 1t should be borne In mind that
had the company not obtained consent
to tie up at Pier "A the entire crew
would have been placed in quarantine
at Hoffman sland."
Passengers Keep Quarantine.
A report reached Health Commits
sioner Coneland that passengers boarded
the Potomac yesterday and despite the
fact that the quarantine period does not
end until to-day, were permitted to go
to their homes or to hotels when the
sailing was postponed. DR.. Copeland
sent DR.. Alamo Blauvet, Assistant
Sanitary Inspector to the ship. He told
his chief later that about 100 steerage
passengers were at the pier ready to go
aboard but did not do so and were sent
to hotels by the steamship company. DR..