The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-16
illustrations by Philip Wolfe
INSTALLMENT 80


1 to fathorn what Slim meant.
'You men down below are espe-
cially important, when 1t comes to
strike, or war actionsl"
'War" Pitts pressed Sims arm.
Il wanted to talk with you about
that. After seeing the way those COM
rades are working heart and soul in
the Soviet Union, trying to build
a new world, I keep fretting about
the thought that the capitalists will
destroy them. You know what I've
decided to do?"
Slim was curious.
1--WE been working on a resolu-
tion,-I'll show it to you later. And
I'm going to get every mothers son
on our ship to sign that pledge to
defend the Soviet Union, if it's the
last thing on Gods earth I dol"
Zine idea, contradict" They both
shook hands. Pits coughed, elnbar-
raSsed. "The devil, don't feel like
turning in" suggested he, Tets take
a walk into town. I've got few Finn
marks left"
20. x" agreed Slim, "but wait"
He glanced cautiously up at the
bridge. Its just as well if the old
man don't see you hobnobbing with
a God damn Red like me. You walk
On down the dock; I'll cut across
the tacks on this side, and meet you
down tire line
Pitts walked ahead. A girl was COM
ing toward him, headed for the ship.
She asked him in English if a certain
man was working on that ship. Pitts
told her no, and she gave him
sob story about how that teller had
married her three years before, when
the ship came to Raumo. That is,
they had loved each other, and he
had promised to marry her when the
ship came back. Afterwards, when
her father found out she was getting
a baby, he chased her out of the
house. Since then, she was without
a home, and came to meet every ship,
looking for her man. While she was
talking Pitts had time to notice how
the syphilis had been eating away at
her nose and hands. And she smelled
of drink. She asked Pitts for a CT
garette. Pitts gave her what he had
left of a pack of Camels, and beat it
away.
Towards the far end of the meadow
he could see Slim taking long strides.
Slim had peculiar springiness to his
walk, reminding Pitts of an aero
plane humping ahead to a take-off.
They went into the village, which
gave clean pretty postcard impress
sion of country simplicity.
Here and there a picturesque little
church with neatly-kept lawn and
garden. Pitts thought of the syphilis
eaten girl, chased from home by her
father, who had probably taken her
to one of these churches when she
was little. And it was the teachings
of these churches which had brought
him to diSown the same girl grown
older, and put her on the road to
becoming a prostitute, a drunk, and a
syphilis-spreading scourge. The good
Lord" only knows, how many church.
going boys of this pretty village she
had diseased! Behind those houses
with dainty blue window curtains,
with neat little flower pots, how much
church-blessed misery? How much
church inspired hypocrisy? How
much church-spread superstitionp
"Oh boy! Honest to God applesl"
called Slim, rousing Pitts out of this
reverie. They had come to the village
market square, where country pro-
duce, from pot-cheese to wooden
Shoes was on display. They bought
kilogram of apples.
You'd think, with this fresh fruit
so cheap, thy'd give us some on
board, wouldn't you?" remarked Pitts.
But no fruit at all is still cheaper,
figures the Company" Slim laughed.
wait until we get our ships COM
mittee, then we'll not only control
the food, but the lifeboats and many
other iten1s.-You know, since this
line carries passengers, they've cut
out the fire drill, for fear Of soaring
them. And If anything happens. we
being the last to leave the ship, have
the greatest risk"
Pitts asked If the ships committee
could control that, too.
THAT depends on who's on it. On
Soviet ships, the ships committee
practically control everything: work
ing hours, food, safety measures, re-
creation, education. In port, they |
communicate with workers organ
izations and arrange sport matches,
excursions, --everythin
Pitts sighed Eyes, on Soviet ships!p
Don't worry, old man! Our ships
aren't always going to remain In