The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-07-19
SECRETLY DEPORT
Chinese SEAMEN
BY HOLLAND LINE
Company Liable to Pay
Heavy Fine
FEDERATED Press.)

VI CSsNAoNhA Nf'7s<
AS it seemed that habeas corpus
writ was about to free the SO Chinese
seamen strikers Illegally detained on
Ellis Island, were dumped into the
hold of Holland-American liner
bound for Rotterdam. Sixteen had al
ready been deported
To save the men from a frame-up
on possible mutiny charges the Chi
nese Seamen's Institute, through its
attorney Hugo Pollock, is cabling Edo
Fimmen, secretary of The International
Transport Workers Federation, set
ting forth the facts here and asking
him to investigate the employment
methods of the steamship company.
United States Senator Copeland and
Silas Blake Axtell, attorney for the
International Seamen's Union, were
among the persons who had been in
teresting themselves in the case of
these oriental workers since they were
beaten and jailed by the Hoboken po-
lice as they were leaving the S. S.
Rotterdam.
Had Right to Quit.
Axtell, a well-known authority on
marine law, said the Chinese had the
right to quit the ship. "The Seamen's
Act" he explained in a letter to Pol
lock, maintains that all seamen, in
GLIDING Chinese and Hindoos, may de-
mand half their wages and leave for
eign or American ships for the pur-
pose of reshipment" The purpose of
this provision of the LaFollette act,
continued the attorney, is to equalize
costs of operation, by compelling for
eign shipowners to replace crews at
American rates of wages.
Fifteen dollars month was all the
Chinese were getting In the "black
gang" Of the Rotterdam. the Dutch
strikers, whose place they were tax
ing, had been paid S3S month. When
the Chinese found they had been
tricked into being strikebreakers they
decided to quit, and carried out the
plan in Hoboken.
Company Is Liable.
Each of the guilty parties response
BILE for the imprisoning of the Chinese
will now be under fire by their friends
here. First there is the Holland
American line, that is subject to fine
of $1,000 by the immigration bureau
for each of the 80 Chinese sailors of
the original "a who have not turned
up. Thirty times $1,000 is $4,000, a
pretty pennyfor the erring steamship
company to pay and one that it will
try to evade paying when the so day
limit expires. Attorney Axtell says
that in practice, he does not believe
that the steamship companies ever pay
these fines. But an effort will be
made to compel the Bureau of Immi-
grafton to stick to its rule.
Punished on Ellis Island.
Then there is punishment due to the
immigration authorities who held the
Chinese on Ellis Island, without
charges. The seamen were taken off
the hands of the Hoboken police and
held prisoners on the island as ian
accommodation" to the company. Sec
rotary Davis Of the Department of La
Dor has written LaGuardia, promising
to investigate the affair.
Every obstacle possible had been
placed in the way OF Attorney Pollock
when he was working for the mems
release. Assistant Commissioner Uhl
ON Ellis Island refused to let him see
the Chinese, because it might "start
riot" and because it was said he did
not have the names of any of his
clients. When Pollock produced
name the authorities denied the man
was there.
Don,t Enrnnt Tho E....Li