The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-26
LINES DRAWN FOR
 BIG MARINE STRIKE
175,000 Unionlzed Engineers, Bremen and Seamen Like
 ely to Walk Out May I
By Associated Press

New York. April 25.-I1ines tending to- ward nationwide strike on May i of more than 175.00o unionized marine engi- neers. firemen and seamen were closely drawn here today when the unions re- fused to consider a new contract pro- posed by the owners. carrying wage cuts averaging 25 to 5per cent,
 The engineers. through their national president William R. Browne. followed effective that date, if the cut Is put into effect. The firemen and seamen, through Andrew Furruseth, president of the In- ternational Seamen's union, said then men already had voted on the matter, and they, too, would quit work If the wage cut was made effective. Overseas and coastwise American flagships on the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific will be involved unless the differences are djusted
 At the close of the conference today it was announced that Admiral Benson, chairman of the United States shipping boar, had called conference of repre- sentatives of the owners and the unions next Wednesday at Washington. This announcement was made by Darragh De- lancey. head of the boards department of industrial relations. It was indicated that federal influence will be used to bring about an agreement and prevent a strike
 DEMANDS REFUSED
 The conferences today were the culini- nation of a series of meetings between representatives of the unions and the owners. The engineers last week an nounced that wage cut would not be accepted, and today the declaration was reiterated. At previous conferences the firemen and seamen insisted that wage questions be made secondary to enforce ment of alleged violations of the LaFoi- lette law, abolishment of the shipping boards sea service bureau and prefer ence in employment of union men. The answer of the owners today was that the LaFollette seamens law was a fed eral statute and the sea service bureau was a governmental agency. It was fur ther stated that this bureau was fur nishing American ships with seamen, 80 per cent of whom were American citi- zens, while the seamen's unions were furnishing a negligible percentage or Americans. Preference m employment Of union men was declared to be discrimi- nation against Americans. and the de- mands were refused.
 TO QUIT MAY |
 As result of the refusal, MT. Furu- suth and his assistants left the meeting and declared that the men would refuse to work after May 1 if the wage redCc- ton was put into effect.
 Ships on the Great Lakes and tugs. barges and other craft employed in har- bor transportation would not be affected by the strike, union leaders said. as they are under separate contracts. A tie-up of deep sea and coastwise ships would be felt by several hundred thousand men.
 Recent reports of American shipping show that the United States shipping board owns l.T3 ocean-going ships of 7790,736 gross tons, the majority in the hands of private operators. In addition, there are 1.9l7 of 5.125.273 gross tons owned by private companies. Of these. approxi- snately 50 per cent of the shipping board tonnage and 9 per cent of the privately owned ships are now tied up. due. the owners and opertaors said. to a lack ot cargo, American flag passenger vessels which possibly would be affected by strike include those of the International Mercantile Marine. Hamberg and Ant werp service. the United States Matt Steamship company and tlie United American lines in the European trade. and all coastwise lines operated on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts between cities on the Atlantic and gulf coast