New Britain herald., 1924-02-16
I2O,OOO DOCKHANDS STRIKE IN ENGLAND If Tugboat Men Quit Too, Ocean
 Traffic Is Hit Hard
 U. s. BOATS ARE AFFECTED
Shipping Board Workers Get Pay Whether Or Not Ships Operate If Strike Last Long England Will Feel Food Pinch.
By The Assoeiated Press.

By The Associated Press.
 London, Feb. 16.-The strike ot dockworkers. affecting 120.000 men became effective at noon today in all the ports of the United Kingdom.
 The steamship operators. upon whose business the effect of the strike was at first immediately apparent said they expected to be able to main- tain their schedules with ocean-going passenger ships but feared that the vast water-borne freight traffic to and from ports in the United King dom wuold be greatly slackened if not altogether stopped. entailing in- estimable losses to themselves and shippers in general.
 Ocean Traffic Threatened
 Should the tugboat men in the vari- ous ports quit work out of sympathy with the dockmen it will be impos- sible to bring ocean-going vessels to their docks, and all of them will have to anchor off shore. By the use of tenders, the passengers, mail anl bag gage could be carried to and from these anchored liners, but this sys- tenn could never be used to load and unload the tremendous eargoes of of every kind brought to and carried from the British isles.
 AS soon as the dockworkers walked out various lines put into operation such plans as they had available to meet the emergency, the United States lines, fearing the Plymouth tugboat men would follow the lead of those 1t Liverpool and bank the fires under their boilers, sent wireless messages to the captain of the steamship duo in Plymouth at 10 o'clock tonight, informing him that his own crew would have to handle Inc mails. The government was asked .o supply sailors and marines to help ake tho American mail bags ashore. from the London offices al- SO were rushed to Plymouth to handle he passengers baggage.
 The White Star line announced hat if expected 10 get the big olym- pie away on schedule Wednesday.
 U. S. Harl Hit
 The United States shipping board, HdlI uOStIl VI WHpSe ITtiEnt Sithlu~ ITS nre due in various British ports he next few days fears it will suffer , harder blow to its exchequcr than my Of the British lines because Of he contracts which enable the crews f American ships to continue draw ng full pay whether or not the ships re forced by outside influences to lie ile. There is no such clause, it is tated, In the contracts made by Brit i sh vessels with their crews, and | therefore tho crews can be released | honld the strike make further opra- lon of tho steamers impossible.
 The President Monroe, with heavy argo. partly Of porishable goods, is | ue in the Thames tomorrow. and it ! uncertain as yet whether she will | e able to unload and reload so as , return to the United States week ence, as scheduled.
 Some of the operators expressed le opinion today that the strike 'ould be of short duration, possibly nly over the weekend If it should st any length of time it will affect on these islands, for since reat Britain cannot feed herself the rices of food are bound to rise as lon as there is any interference with le steamers that bring eatables here om all over the world.