The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-11-19
FAIL TO HIDE
COMP ANY Guilt
INvEESTRIS CASE
Fake Quiz; Lamport
and Holt to Blame
Continued from Page One

OOHttHNeu ITOW rage OHe
thorities, and it is rumored that
during this time the liner had been
loaded with contraband ammuni-
ton thru the coal port which was
left partly open, thus causing the
main leak which seamen charge
caused the Vestris to list and finally
to sink.
This latest report states that the
ammunition had been slipped aboard
thru the coal bunker door in order
to avoid detection and that the door
had been left open due to the neces-
sity for immediate departure. The
same source for this rumor states
athat the ammunition was destined
flor use in guerilla warfare in a
South American revolutionary out
sbreak," evidently meaning, if it is
true, for one of those uprisings
planned and financed by the United
States, government.
The Vestris was in a collision
Thursday after she left drydock in
Erie Basin with a freighter and an
chored all night off the basin while
she Investigated damage. Nothing
was done by the company to repair
this damage, although it was SER
ious enough to delay the ship for a
whole night.
But what strikes seamen above
all in the course of the hearing be-
fore futile, was the evident tam
pering with the witnesses by the
company, and that all principal wit
nesses called by the prosecutor had
first been sufficiently ''inter-
viewed" by the company to render
most of their testimony almost
hworthless. Seamen make this their
main point, because they have ex-
rperienced the sporting" and espion-
age of ship companies and know
how the crew of the Vestris has
been terrorized.
Thus far not one member of that
portion of the crew which worked
in the hold while the ship was in
danger and even going down, has
been called upon to testify by the
commission. They are in the best
position to know the precise cause
for the wreck and for that reason
have been kept virtual prisoners by
the company and by the Seamen's
Church Institute.
1t is also evident that radio on
orator Vechere knows of messages
sent and received by the Vestris
preceding the wreck, but that he
has been so inundated by the com
pany that he is afraid to speak.
Danger Evident Sunday.
Chief Officer johnson and Chief
Engineer Adams, who testified Sat-
friday, after they had been kept vir-
ually prisoners by the company
HIND had beer told what to say, adj
'nlitted enough to make it evident
that Captain Carey and they knew
Of the danger facing the vessel for
some time before the S. o. S. was
actually sent, but that the signal for
help was delayed for some very
specific reason.
According to Johnson's testimony,
which was extremely ell-guarded
and which futile did not do much
to elucidate, things were serious at
4 o'clock Monday morning, seven
hours before the S. O. S. was sent,
and that beginning Sunday morn
ing the leaking was serious enough
to send call for ships to stand by.
No Charge Against l.. and II.
The company also stands ar
raigned before seamen for it's treat
ment of the Vestris crew and for
maintaining such conditions on it's
ships that allow virtual slavery
Tuttle has rot mentioned word of
the mistreatment of the Negro
crew, of the tradition maintained by
the company under which it's cap
tains can let the crew perish for
the sake of the passengers, and
Iven hold them by force in the hold
Irhile others get off with the life
boats.
futile has not even thought of
bringing a charge against the COM
pany for terrorizing the rescued
members of the crew and for hiding
all of their testimony, and as such
hearings go on it is hardly possible
+bo+ ba co,,Id oven think of If lat-
ting alone actually doing it.
None of the positive results of
the hearing, thus far, as summed
up by futile, directly charge Lam
port and Holt with guilt for the
wreck, and past experience seems
to justify the view that the re-
mainder Of the hearing will not do
50.