The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-07-04
American Seamen Help
Chinese Strike Ship
Continued from Page Ome)

appealed to the United States ship
ping board. The results were that
the shipping board, looking after the
interests of the Holland American
Line, provided the IS S. Rotterdam"
with six-masters-at-arm This num-
Der was later increased to eight.
The company in conjunction with
the shipping board, was willing to pay
these men $500 a day, their board
and first class passage to and fro.
These men they provided with special
badges and guns and the instructions
to use these guns upon any sign of
open discomfort on the part of the
crew. They were pretty careful to
pick husky, healthy gunner for this
job.
Join Strike.
The remainder of the ships black
gang (firemen and coal passers) how
ever, were already greatly discon-
tented by this time and were ready
to join in sympathy with their strik-
ing brothers. It was just about this
time that the before mentioned group
of sailors came aboard ship, entered
the focsles and spoke to their fellow
workers. They asked them to show
their solidarity, refusing to man
scab ship. The greater part of the
men left thereupon, marching down
the gang plank past customs officials,
immigration officers and watchmen
who were unable to stop their VIC
torious progress.
The next morning word went up
and down South Street and all along
New York's waterfront to the effect
that the rs. S. Rotterdam" was CON
demned ship; was hiring scab labor
and that if the crew were filled. it
would be scab crew Soon enough
the enraged ships officials found
themselves faced with sailing time
and eighty men short. Their need was
so desperate that they moved the ship
to Quarantine. This was done with a
greatly undermined force, endanger-
ing the lives of the passengers
aboard. All day frantic attempts
were made to fill the ranks of the
missing coal passers and firemen, but
the work of this small group of class
conscious sailors had been so effec-
tive that the ship was tied M for
eight hours.
Tied Up For 8 Hours.
The as. S. Rotterdam" was kept
outside of Quarantine without a crew
for eight solid hours. This cost the
Holland American Line quite neat
sum of money, because she is a mail
carrying vessel.
Another interesting phase lies in
the fact that whereas the "Rotter-
dam" was listed as paying $6250 for
the run the evening before the Hol-
land American raised the wage scale
first to 500 and then to $3.50 the
next morning They also promised
all sorts of fantastic favors, bonuses
and trips to the men, which of course,
never will be kept.
Hold Meeting.
An open air meeting was held under
the auspices of the International Sea-
mems Club at Coentis Slip. A united
front was effected with the Marine
Transport Workers Union, $40 and
other water front organizations. The
subject of the meeting was the strike
situation facing the Dutch Seamen
and the creation of picketing commit
tees for the boycotting of the rs. S.
Rotterdam. The meeting turned out
success. After the meeting the men
all came up to the headquarters of
the international Seamens Club at &c
South Street where ways and means
Of boycotting the Rotterdam and
other Dutch ships was discussed.
Plan to Unite Seamen.
In an interview with Harry Kweit,
Secretary of the International Sea-
mems Club, he pointed out that this
was probably the most infamous case
of the exploitation of seamen and
their replacement by American sail
ors through the strike-breaking tao
tics Of the shipping interests which
has occurred on the New York water
front for quite some time. Kweit
says that the International Seamens
Club will do all in it's power to CO.
operate with other waterfront organ
izations to help the striking Holland
seamen in their struggle for higher
wages and organization.
1t was also the opinion of Franzi-
zen, acting organizer of the Marine
Transport Workers Union, $40, that
this situation will lead to the uniting |
of all seamen's organizations.