The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-11-04
.MUSSOLlNI is
. HELPING SMASH
BRITISH S TRIK E
But Miners Solidarity
Dehes All Foes
Continued from page u

ment is paying the nlgnesJ transpoF-
tation rate In the history Of shipping.
Ralian Deserters.
In one month 849 deserters were
listed in the Office of Leon r. Fouch,
assistant commissioner Of immigration
for Baltimore. Most Of these desert
ers were from Italian ships.
During the first months Of the coal
strike nearly every Italian ship calling
here or at Hampton Roads for a
"scab" coal cargo lost members of its
crew thru desertion.
1t was directly due to this situation
that the Italian government revived
certain old maritime laws, some Of
them discarded as inhuman genera
lions ago, to govern the lives of mem
bers Of the Italian merchant marine.
Under these laws Italian sailors suffer
from discipline as severe as mem.
bers Of battleship crews about to enter
into actual naval battle. Lengthy
prison terms, with short rations and
hard labor, now face those who quit
ships.
consularsResponsibiIity.
Count C. c. Torneilli, Italian con
sui at Baltimore, is responsible for
this return to Italy's ancient sea laws.
He asked his government to use punt
tive measures when Baltimore's police
told him they could not lawfully in
terfere with the shore leave Of sea-
men who are guilty Of desertion only.
"This desertion from our ships is
weakening the morale as well as the
man strength Of the Italian merchant
marine" the Italian consul told a
newspaper reporter.
Postponed Departure.
Several Italian ships, ready to sail
with "scab" coal cargoes, actually had
to postpone their departure from Bal
timore and Hampton Roads because
of wholesale desertions from their
crews.
These deserving seamen tell stories
of coercion and ill-treatment aboard
their ships They declare that Italy's
sailors, like hundreds Of thousands Of
other Italian toilers, are waiting the
day when the workers of that op-
pressed land will rise in their might
and sweep away the hated fascist.
Crushing of union labor and com
pulsory service aboard fascist-con-
trolled ships result in many sailors
fleeing from the "sailortown" sections
Of these ports to inland cities. where
they are soon at home with fellow
workers from their native land.
Take Desperate Chances.
Desperate because the quota of en-
igrants assigned to Italy has been
absorbed for at least eight more years,
these enemies Of fascism take des-
perate chances.
Some of them do not get shore
leave. The Italian governments re-
strictions are making that more diff
fcult. The number of watchmen on
many Italian ships in these harbors
has been increased.
SO Italian sailors, determined to flee
from the capitalist dictatorship OF
Mussolini sometimes risk their lives.
Often they gain their freedom.
But that was not the luck Of On
berto Gregorio and Salvatore Pine.
These two Italian sailors leaped over
board from the Italian steamer Golaba
as she lay in Hampton Roads a few
weeks ago.
Their companion, Jose ROjo, Span
lard, was pulled out Of the water in
an exhausted condition. He had
Iife-belt and bundle of clothing tied
about his waist. While swimming In
the harbor he signaled a Newport
ferry steamer passing
near him. The crew, with the aid OF
fishing smack, came to his rescue.
Met Watery Grave.
But his two Italian companions dis
Government officials be-
lieve they met a watery grave.
RojA was put back on the Colaba
and placed in irons and under guard
to stand trial in Italy under the an
cient tyrannical laws which are now
being enforced on Italian seamen.
But Italy and Spain are not the
only two countries whose ship cap
tains are having trouble with their
crews.
A few days ago a number of the
diplomatic corps Of Serbia, Croatia
and Slavonia made a special trip to
Baltimore from Washington to induce
the crews Of the Jugo-Slav steamer
vojvoda Putnik to sail with her.
These sailors had rebelled against the
captains order that they must remain
On board during the ships stay here.
A number, It is reported, had learned
about the valiant fight OF Britain's
and refused to sail with a
'scab' coal cargo.
The Captain Wept.
with tears In his eyes, Captain Vas
,ilakis of the Greek steamer Anna
which his family owns,
plead with Baltimore's police to round |
np half hts crew. Every member OF
~ ..n,,, 90 thtrtv man demanded