The daily worker., 1927-11-11
SEAMEN'S CLUB
DEFENDS STAND;
AXTELL WRONG"
Club Sets Lawyer Right
on U.S.S.R. Report

The International Seamens Clul
believing as it does in answering
questions, has written an open reply
to Silas B. Axtell, New York attor-
ney and "open" letter writer. who at
tached himself to the first American
Trade Union Delegation to Soviet
Russia.
Mr.. Axtell in a recent letter asked
questions, supposedly disparaging,
about the Seamen's Club. in refer
/ ence to a recent Seamen's Club meet
ing which he addressed on conditions
in Russia and conditions in the United
States. Mr.. AxtelPs letter, addressed
I to Albert F. Coyle, secretary Of the
American Trade Union Delegation,
was reproduced last Wednesday in
/ The DAILY WORKER. A copy of the
Seamen's Club "open" reply was
therefore sent to The DAILY
! WORKER and is herewith likewise
reproduced:
AxtelI "Perturbed."
eve have noticed in the newspa-
/ pers letter addressed by you to AL
bert +. Coyle, secretary of the Trade
Union Delegation to Soviet Russia, in
which you seem perturbed about the
international Seamen's Club and the
leaflet circulated by them telling the
truth about conditions in Soviet Rus
sia," the letter from the seamen said.
"Why you should write to Coyle to
find out about the International Sea-
mems Club when he probably has
never heard of US, instead Of writing
directly to US, is rather hard to under
stand. We should have been perfectly
glad to tell you about ourselves. We
would even have sent you another
leaflet telling about the club (since
you find our leaflets so .stimulatingD
Seamen "Forewarned."
"You say that quite a number Of
sailors have our leaflet on conditions
in Russia. We are glad to hear that.
We made it our business to distribute
it widely. so that the sailors who at
tended your meeting would be fore
warned and forearmed against the
bunk which you intended spouting
about Russia. l think you will agree
from the hostile attitude of the meet
ing that the men did not fall for your
stuff, neither on Russia nor on class
collaboration schemes for the seamen
here.
'Now as to the questions contained
in your letter. You ask: Am /
wrong in drawing the conclusion that
. the people signing as the Interna-
tional Seamen's Club are Commune
: ists?' Answer: You are wrong, Mr..
Axtell.
t Wrong Again.
"You ask; Am l wrong in assun-
ing that they are members of the I.
, W. VIZ Answer: Wrong for the
, second time, Mr.. Axtell. Guess again.
"You ask: Am 1 wrong in assum-
ing that you (Coyle). are in close
touch with these people?' Answer:
Wrong for the third time. Mr.. Axtell.
"You seem to be making quite a
habit of being wrong. Coyle person.
ally is not much more to US than a
name in the newspapers. Being sea-
men and not railroadmen, whose edi-
tor he used to be, we would probably
hardly have heard of him had it not
been for the publication of the Trade
Union Delegations report. We hear
, he is a progressive trade unionist,
> however, and as such we would prob
, ably find ourselves very much in SYM
. pathy with him.
t Club for Unionism.
"This brings US back to the subject
Of ourselves. The International Sea-
mems Club is a club of progressive
/; seamen. It's main object is to stimu-
late unionism amongst our fellow
: seamen. As attorney for the Sea-
i mems Union, you certainly ought to
know the miserable conditions of the
seamen today and if you do not be-
, lieve that the only way to remedy
, them is through union organization
you ought not to be attorney for the
. union. Besides this main task, the
club provides the seamen with a So
;. cial and recreational center and edu-
cational facilities, free from the con-
stant sky-pilot supervision and spying
! by agents of the ship owners that is
), so common in the Seamen's Church