The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-07-25
ZIONIST BARGE
NO PLACE FOR
HUNGRY TUMMY
Ship Had Doctor But No
Undertaken
BY ART SHIELDS,
Federated Press.)

kFeoeTated fFeSS'J
NEW YORK, July 23.-EverythIno
Is kosher on the S. S. President Ar
thur that is carrying its fourth cargo
OF ardent Zionists to Palestine and
two Rabbits, hired by the American
Palestine Line, Inc, give benefit Of
clergy to the travellers, but stewards
who told their story in the Federated
Press office, report the arossest pro-
fiteerlng and the most fragrant VIC
Iatlon Of marine laws by this ortho-
dox outfit.
The Lines advertising portrays pa
latial rooms, swimming pool and all
the luxuries Of travel de luxe, but
all this proved to be the bunk, say the
seamen. There was no swimming
pool; there was frequently no water
even to flush the lavatories and pas
sengers climbed to the top deck in
vain for refuge. The ice machine was
not even tried in the tropical Mediter-
ranean weather and there was, on
the return trip, shortage OF such
food as the ship possessed.
Taking 1t Out on PuncneS.
A famine resulted on the way home
from Naples, last port of call Pas
sengers and crew lived on potatoes,
bread, meat, coffee and tea, with
smelly meat that the butcher for ne
cessary reasons carved up on the for
ward hatch rather than below. The
fremen, underfed, would come up
sick from the fireroom and towards
the last the men from this depart
ment formed the habit of taking a
poke at steward and second steward
whenever these worthless came by.
On one occasion the chief steward
saved himself by sitting tight behind
locked, cabin while the entire black
gang" cried for him outside. The fire.
men were particularly angry because
the LaFollette Seamen's Act suppos-
edly guarantees specified nourishing
foods and because the steward had
failed to lay in supply while in the
port Of Naples, one of the cheapest
food markets in the world.
LaFolIette Act Dead as Bob.
Navigation laws we're ignored from
the day the ship sailed with the crew
far below the number required by the
same LaFollette Act for safety at sea
There we're S5 men short in the stew.
ards department alone and in con
sequence, the white coated men work
ed 16 hours day-and at wages 5 to
10 dollars below the Shipping Board
scale Life boat drills were gone
thru half-heartedly without any at.
tempt, say the seamen, to swing the
boats from the davits and test their
fitness for shipwreck crisis.
The letter of the law, was kept as
far as requiring a doctor to be in
cluded on the ships staff but this
healer had Office hours for the crew,
an hour in the morning and one in
the afternoon and the sailor unfortu-
nate enough to be sick or injured out
of Office hours was unfortunate in
deed.
Ship In Her Dotaee.
The President Arthur is a veteran
ship that has reached the status of a
tub, in sailors parlance- Built orr
ginally for the North German Lloyd
in 1900 she was seized by the United
States government during the war
and in 1921 called out of line for
the scrap heap. But at the last mo-
ment the veteran was saved by the
purchasing price of the American
Palestine Line, Inc. The ship is not
considered safe for winter travel in
the Atlantic and the government has
ruled it must keep off deep water in
winter so it is expected to run as a
Mediterranean boat that season.
The ship is unorganized and the
lin- docs not want any union. The
hackers Of this shipping venture are
consuered 10 be devout religionists
and do not stress any desire for pro
fits in their appeal for patronage from
co-religionists. Jacob S. Strahl is
president On the President Arthur
maiden voyage with the Palestine
banner last March. she was sent OF
ut the pier with the greetings OF
Rabbi NJ s. Margolies.