The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-04-07
BRUTALITY FROM
PETTY DULLES
Is Sail ORS' LOT
Officers Stood Above,
Jeering at Seamen
Editor. The DAILY WORKER:

of The DAILY WORKER, l am also
anxious to join this new rank OF
correspondents. These exposures of
military service under Wall Street
rule are the most efficient warnings
to youth who may feel inclined to join
the army or navy. The Workers OF
this country can easily see the class
character of our military institutions
by the impositions that working class
youth must undergo while in this SER
vice.
Class of 1881 on Spree.
A good reflection of the navy can
be gained from the occasion OF the
1881 class of Annapolis reunion with
a Japanese admiral university. In
connection with this old class gong
to Toxic to see their old classmates
orr own secretary of the navy DENLY,
who gave away the Tea Pot Dome de-
cided to go along with the Annapolis
class. This changed the character OF
the trim. Instead of a reunion trip,
it turned into a typical Llndbergh
Good WilT' trip to Japan and at the
same time an inspection trip OF outly-
ing bases to determine what was
necessary to strengthen them for the
next war when Japan may be pos
sible contender as the feeling existed
at that time.
The faithful cannon-fodder carrier
u. S. S. Henderson, transport,
was assigned for this 10000 mile trip.
The Bureau of Construction and Re
pairs at Washington received orders
to spend any amount of money to re-
condition the upper quarters Tor the
1881 class and the secretary. After
a thorough overhaul in the ship yard
costing thousands of dollars, we
locked at Norfolk to wait for the
secretary and the rest of the party
500 Enlisted Men.
incidentally my letter is not about
the upper strata of the navy. want
u say something about the so-called
FoNy.r sJraCa-,ge workers-enlIsted
yonnel, (rlve hundred enlisted) for
.ofuatlon and 600 enlisted) at
~ the crew. The 500 men who
,..a-lod from the whole coast
-.oa London, Conn.,, to Paris
.souon Carolina were sure a
ea 4OoAlng lot. You see 1t was
s--oty " MAKE the ballast I'M
s.-u4eeoely and not one man knew that
was gong to be dragged to China
a. ncn notice.
Those who were unfortunate enough
% arrive as early as week before
departure worked day and night load
mg ship. Our condition was
miserable lot on the trip. The lack
OF accommodations for so many men
contributed to our hardships. First
thing there was only enough hunks
for 80 per cent of the passengers.
Only Room For Half.
Even in the case where we could
procure a bunk-it was only a ques-
ton of 2 days out and we were in
warm climate and sleeping 3 decks
below, hunks in a row, several hun
bred men in a space times larger
than an ordinary living room-the
place became unbearable. Soon we
would take our bedding up on the deck
where we ate chow-and in a dis
gusted way-men would just litter
Che decks with stinky bedding. This
was our lot. Everything smelled bad
because we didn't have a place to
wash things-besides the ship, that
is the part for the enlisted, was al
ways filthy because of congested con-
ditions.
Like Slave Ships.
If one reads of the Negro slave
ships that existed a couple hundred
years ago, they would then get an
understanding of conditions. The Iood
was very bad-the crew was served
first, then the passengers. The ra-
tions were so little that often it
would dawn on you whether you
could stand it much longer. Graft anG
corruption is rampant in military
service, and common sight is a rich
paymaster who buys the food for tho
boys, but God knows how much he
buys from the appropriation allowed
per man.
1t was impossible for those who
had seats to eat below decks. The
odor arising from the food was nause-
atlng-lt was necessary to take your
canteen up on the main deck and sit
down in the scupper ways, on the
catches, and on the deck and eat like
i dog Often the upper strata living
4 the upper decks which Started half
say hat is amidship--would stand
and jeer, ridicule and sheer at our
antics. We were held in contempt.
Often | think that if one of the off
GERS decided to throw something in
our midst, for instance something
good to cat, there would have been
scramble. OF course this in an illus
tration.
DO Dirty Work.
We performed the dirty work Of
the ship enroute. While the so-called
roper strata were promenading the