The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-11-19
[. & H. STANDS
ARRAICNED AS
FULLY GUILTY
.Vestris Grew Assails
Lamport & Holt
Company
Minor Extols Heroes
Fake Inve S tt cation
Hides Facts


Five hundred angry seamer
packed the hall of the Seamen's
Club, % South Street, last
night. They had answered the
|, call sent out by Secretary George
Mink, of the Marine Workers Pro-
gressive League to hear from the
lips of crew members of the
foundered Steamship "Vestris" the
story of last Mondays tragedy, and
to decide for themselves the respon-
sibility for the wreck in which over
a hundred lives ere lost as result
of the criminal negligence of the
ships owners, Lamport and Holt.
Before the evening was over the
men had unanimously adopted a
resolution generating their heroic
Negro comrades from responsibility
and placing it on the greed and
negligence of the ship owners.
When Harry Kweits finished read
ing the resolution he had scarcely
time to call for a vote before every
seaman in the hall had shouted his
approval.
Before this the seaman heard,
with loud approval, a member of
the Vestris crew who declared that
the ship was leaking when she left
port and that she was so rotten that
a sea door gave when passenger
leaned against it. His comrades
were reused to fury when he de-
scribed how he, a member of the
catering crew, had worked with
buckets to bail out the rotten YES
sci.
He described how he had come on
to the deck when the ship was about
to be abandoned and had seen the
captain.
"But," he said, "the captain didn't
pay much attention to us. He didn't
seem to care"
A member of the crew of the
American Shipper the rescuing
ship, created a Juror when he de-
clared that although no ship papers
could be discovered by the govern
ment's Investigating committee" :"
he himself had seen two portfolios
brought from a lifeboat onto the
"American Shipper" These port
folios, supposed to contain the ships
records, have not since appeared.
Seamen from all over the hall
lose when the speakers had con-
cluded to give them their support.
Man after man declared for the end
of the superstition of the sea by
which, in one mans words, "The
sailors are left to die in the hold
while the rich parasites saved their
dogs and valuables in the life
boats"
Earlier in the evening the audi
ence had been brought to their feet
with applause when Robert Minor,
editor of the Daily Worker, sad of
the Vestris.crew:
"For the first time we have seen
the phenomenon of a crew standing
up for it's rights as human beings.
We must stand by the Vetris crew.
They are an example for the whole
world"
At this point one of the sailors
leaped on the platform and de-
manded to know by a show Of
hands how many men present had
sailed on boats that to their knowl-
edge were unseaworthy.
Every hand was raised. Man
after man jumped to his feet to tell
experiences of his own in which
ships crews were subjected to con-
ditions which meant sure death in
case of accident.
And throughout the. course of the
meeting seamen shouted the need for
organization.
"Organize! Organize! ORGANIZED"
was the cry as every man sat down
after speaking.
At the conclusion of the meeting
two members of the Vestris cre.y
became members of The Marine
Workers Progressive League, t, q
militant seaman's union.
Despite all efforts on the part Of
the United States prosecutor, Tut
tie, and leading New York newspa-
pers to gloss over the essential
facts relating to the sinking Of the
Lamport and Holt liner Vestris, the
absolute guilt Of the company for
the death Of Ill people is a clear
fact, as further investigation" is
to be resumed tomorrow.
Lamport and Holt stands ar
yaigned before seamen in this one