New-York tribune., 1921-05-13
Strike-Bound Coast Lines
Urge Him TO Declare
a National Emergency
and Call Out Reserves
6 Ships Withdrawn
From N. Y. Company
Benson Takes us. Vessels
Because Officials Signed
Men at Old Pay Scale

The nationwide shipping strike ap-
parently has crippled the American
mercantile marine along the Pacific
Coast and isolated Alaska This fact
became definitely established when
Winthrop L. Marvin, vice president of
the American Steamship Owners AS
sociation, announced he had been in
formed by telegraph that the Pacific
American Steamship Association had
appealed to Secretary of Commerce Her
bert Hoover and Admiral William s.
Benson, chairman of the United States
Shipping Board, urging them to ask
President Harding to declare a national
emergency in the shipping situation.
The advices further stated that the
Pacific American Steamship Association
also desired that the government itself
take over the manning of vessels in case
the strikers refuse to return to work
within forty-eight hours. The effect OF
declaring national emergency would
result in all those marine engineers who
are naval reservists being called to the
colors and being compelled to serve or
the ships they have resigned" from.
Reports from Washington late last
night stated that Admiral Benson had
announced the withdrawal of six gov
ernment-owned steamships from opera
tion by the United States Transporta
ton Company, of this city, because the
company had signed an agreement with
the unions at the ola rate of pay, and
had disregarded the Is per cent wage
reduction ordered by Admiral Benson
Unions Make Offer
Immediately after the appeal had
been received by Secretary Hoover
Ernest F. Pegg, the Pacific Coast mem
Der of the joint council of marine en-
gineers, offered to man all ships com
missioned to carry food to Alaska, with.
out charge for services, provided the
situation was as serious as repre-.
sented. This was also based on the con.
dition that the Shipping Board would
supply the ships to carry the food te
Alaska.
While the Pacific Coast is apparently
tied up by the strike, operating com.
panies in this city achieved their most
notable success yesterday by sailing
ten steamers. How many of these
steamers had signed crews prior te
May could not be ascertained, except
in the case of the Iowan, of the Ameri-
can Line, which sailed to Boston anG
back last week with the crew she hac
signed on in San Francisco. She left
again yesterday on her return to the
latter port. Three other ships of the
same line also got away, They were;
Mount Clay, for Hamburg; Floridian
for Boston, and Minnesotan, for New
port.
The other American steamers sailing
were Chester Valley and King Alex
andria, for Greece; Andalusia, for Lon
don; MORO Castle, for Havana; Mat
tole. for Baltimore, and City Of st
Louis, for Savannah.
Despite this success, the ocean-goine
local of the Marine Engineers Benevo
lent Association issued statement ir
which it was declared that during the
first eleven days of the strike only
thirty-six unfair ships had succeed
ed in sailing from this port.
The statement differentiates between
"fair" and unfair" ships. The latter
consists entirely of ships on which
strike-breaking crews alone are work
ing. The former includes crews which
have signed up at the old scale, anc
vessels which merely call here on theii
way from their home port to the por
of destination.
Parleys Ended, Says Benson
In statement over the long dis
tance telephone yesterday Admira
Benson, chairman of the United State
Shipping Board, declared that negotia
tions had been definitely terminated
with leaders of the striking marin
workers.
H. H. Raymond. president of tn
American Steamship Owners Associa
ton, issued the following statemen
last night in reply to the charge mad
by Andrew Furuseth, president Of tn
International Seamen's Union, that tn
steamship owners and the shippin,
board were in an international plot t.
destroy American shipping:
'That the United States Shipping
| Board and the American STEAMSHIP
Owners Association are leagued in "a
international plot to destroy America
shipping is the accusation of Andre,
Furuseth, the head of the Internationa
/ Seamen's Unions whose members ar
now on strike against both government
Continued page Tires,