The Washington times., 1935-09-17
NOW
COIun1nist Goes
On Vacation
EUROPE BOUND
BY HELEN ESSARY
A communist on vacation!

W CuU AOOOC AAOAA AAAS O"AA '
He may watch another buSman
drive through the crowd ana
swing around the corners.
But a columnist is accursed
wherever she goes. Poor Great
ure!
Particularly the kind of a
columnist who is told freely,
ooh, write about anything. Lots
will occur to you"
The habit, the necessity Of
looking, waiting for something
to occur" become burden. IL
grows and clings like the Old
Man of the Sea. 1t rides the
mind and nerves of the colum'
mist when the office is far be-
hind. Any emotion or part OF an
emotion or part of a thought
must be translated on paper.
And so when bound for holi-
day ia Europe was standing on
the deck of boat about to leave
her pier in Baltimore, I looked
! professionally at the pleasant
crowd of we'll wishers. And
thought here is column or
a paragraph. I've left other
ports. But never one where the
send-off is as gay and natural
as here in Baltimore"
: ITO say 'goodby' is to die a
little" The song says so. And
so does the heart.
Leaving New York or South
ampton or Havre or Newcastle
or Naples is a bleak business.
You get on the boat. Your
friends who have bothered to see
you off, wave to you solemnly'
The boat pulls slowly out to no
more excitement than the chug
chug of the little pilot tug boat.
| A Baltimore leave-taking is
quite different. All Baltimore
occasions have a certain verVe.
It's probably the towns South
ern tradition. I suspect, how
ever, that Baltimore behaves as
1t does most of the time because
well, because it's Baltimore.
It's a part of the Maryland
Free State. And acts pretty
much as it feels. You'll find no
affectation of sophistication in
Baltimore. No stodginess in a
Baltimore "bon voyage"
At the Canton pier there was
great waving of hands and
smiling. Much throwing of
kisses and many hurryings down
to the end of the pier for last
glimpses of the voyageurs. With
such a God-speed. we left our
own country feeling that all
would be well at home. That
the Atlantic lay calm ahead. A
holiday pleasant and profitable
was awaiting. And European
wars and disasters were as far
away and as unreal as the can
ais of Mars.
The next morning while we
were at anchor, loading freight
at Norfolk, a gong sounded. A
long. sharp alarm.
Fire and boat drill for the
crew." said my steward, as I
stepped out of the stateroom.
From doors and stairways
men were hurrying. Fastening
on life preservers as they ran.
On the upper deck lines were
forming before the life boats.
An officer in white commanded
each group.
Stokers, deck hands, some
reused from sleep, chefs in high
white caps, the butcher, with a
red splash on his white jacket,
all moved quickly. took the top
covering off the boats and
climbed to their places inside.
I The Ifeboat near me was
about to be launched. The
windlasses creaked. Out swung
the boat beyond the side of the
but straight as plumb-line
ship. own slowly, slowly,
she went into the water.
The windlass ropes were un.
hooked. Oar locks attached.
Oars put in place. At three of
the oars-the pastry chef. the
cockswain and my dining
steward.
A little hesitation. Then the
long oars were moving in uni
son. The boat glided smoothly
out beyond the piers. A sail
was raised. The boat maneu-
vered about for Is minutes.
Then came back to the ship.
Was lifted on deck.
"Once we launched a life.
boat in l minute and 48 Sec
onds," said the First Officer.
''How many passengers in each
boat? Fifty. It's a snug fit.
But we've tried several times.
Everything worked smoothly"
Comforting knowledge for a
traveller!
Watching the freight loaded
was good entertainment. The
windlaSses swung round the
barges and wharves to the ship.
Carrying sometimes all of a
tree except the root and
branches-hardwoods and pine
for foreign carvers. Big bales
of cotton, white fluff showing
between the burlap coverings.
Hogsheads of tobacco. Barrels
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