The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-06-17
The Adventures of William
DOran--Able Seaman

| ana damp buns soaked In a solution
of rain water and the coffee. He still
felt that when he repeated that form
ula, and added, "thank you kindly,
Mister, I'm eternally grateful" (mis-
1 sionary style) Or, "I'll remember you
in my prayers" that he would do
nothing of the sort, that he was not
eternally grateful for the right to
exc out. miserable existence in the
slum houses Of the richest city Of the
world. There was still enough Of
that traditional American pride left
in him to make him revolt at this
sham in the eyes of his fellow be-
ings. He still had enough natural
pride left despite the wrangling and
twisting which he had received at the
mangle Of the capitalist machine to
make him turn away with disgust
from this attitude of sneaking sub
mission to the grinding of the present
day sea life.
Doran was but twenty-five years
old and he had already had ten years
of experience on the decks of Amer
lean and British merchant ships all
over the world. Now as he was stand
ing amid the depths of the gloom Of
South st. his mind wandered bit.
1t went back to the days Of the World
War. Those were turbulent active
days. He pictured one more his brief
but flashing career during this per-
iod. He saw again the three ships
that had been sunk by German sub
boats while he was a member of the
crew on duty. In the last case he
had been taken prisoner by the crew
/ of the German commerce raider,
"Mowe" commanded by Count Nicho-
las Zum Doner Schlowden, a war
strategist who boosted a first class
iron cross, played havoc with mer-
chant ships in the north Atlantic
from 1915 to 1918 and was finally
sunk by the Glasgow, an Australian
Cruiser in the Indian Ocean. Yes,
in those days he could pick his choice
of jobs, for during the war period,
most sailors who had not been draft
ed into the army or navy avoided
the merchant ships. They knew the
hazards of being sunk by mine or
"sub" at any time after leaving port.
But not so in the case of Doran.
| Shipping was his trade and when
the country launched into war for
freedom and World democracy she
naturally needed experienced sailors
of Doran's caliber and manhood to
take the ships across with their sup
plies of munitions and war materials.
So why should Doran seek safer en-
ployment when his country called
than his natural trade, the sea.
Yes, he was patriotic. st is my
duty" he thought, "But on this cold
December day it was different.
There wasn't any war now. Thou
sands of other sailors like himself
were walking the streets all night
or sitting on park benches off the
Battery, shivering with the cold or
suffering dismal pains from hunger
and exposure in the cold.
Yes, of course there was the Sea-
mems Church Institute, The Seamen's
Friend Society and the Y. M. c. A.
Gosh, didn't the papers say that do
nations were being collected by these
institutions and that they were help
ing destitute sailors? He had been
warking as he was thinking and so
tense had become his thoughts that
he didn't notice his gradual approach
1 -, g hot fc
perched on the waterfront like fall
con in the guise of dove of peace
and shelter the Seamen's Church In
stitute.
BY this time his thoughts had as
sumed audible proportions and when
he said that the Church Institute
was supposed to help the men with
charity he received an answer, "they
charge just the same, they don't
really help" chorused a dozen sail
ors who were bundled together for
warmth in the depths of an empty
banana wagon that was located with
in a stones throw of the Institute
"Don't you understand that it is all
graft" remarked another miserable
wretch that was huddled upon =
bench in Battery Park.
Gee whiz anyway" said Doran, 81
don't want charity, what want is a
chance to work at a wage that will
let me live as other men do" 81
know reason why jobs are scarce"
retorted his companion, "the ships
have all got Gyro steering gear. They
are steered automatically and that
has reduced the deck gang. They
burn OIL" he continued, "and that RI
duces the engine department for se.s
eff they cut the hours by dividing
, the crew into four watches instead
Of three there would have been some
benefit from labor saving Devices"
unused Doran, "but they have reduced
the crews instead. l wonder if that
has anything to do with the situa-