Evening star., 1937-01-18
SEAMEN PARADE
T0PROTEST BILL
Mass at Commerce Depart.
ment in Demonstration
Against Copeland Act.
Pictures on Page BIZ

Nearly a thousand grim-faced sea-
men, marching under banners attack
ing the Copeland "safety-at-sea" act,
massed at the Commerce Department
today while their leaders conferred
with Secretary Roper in an effort to
get Justice" for the crews of Amer
ican ships.
Assembling at Fifteenth and H
streets northeast before dawn. after an
all-night trek from Baltimore in the
rain, the vanguard of the seamen was
augmented by delegates from New
York, Philadelphia. Norfolk and Bos-
ton before the procession started.
Parading out K street, south on
Third and along Constitution avenue
to the Commerce Department, the
demonstrators marched silently and
orderly under the supervision of scores
of uniformed police.
A lone bugler dressed in oilskins
blew an occasional tune, providing the
only music. Many of the marchers
carried placards, some of which pro-
claimed "blacklisting" and dog COL
lars are for dogs and not for seamen." "
Man in Silk Hat Leads.
At the head of the line of march
a burly mountaineering frock coat
and silk hat and carrying a sign
announcing he was ship owner
led a smaller man, representing a
seaman, by a chain and collar.
Dafueol fa Y,anot ", tho
Labor Department Auditorium, the
marchers filled Fifteenth street be-
tween Constitution and Pennsylvania
avenues while committee of seven
was given an audience with Roper.
After what was described as sym
pathetic conference" with Roper. the
committee was expected to 60 to the
White House Spokesmen for the sea-
men said they had protested to Roper
against sections of the Copeland and
ship subsidies bills and had been as
sured by the Secretary that he is in
favor of full congressional investiga-
ton of their complaints.
Roper told the committee he has no
authority to suspend operation of the
Copeland act.
"The Secretary told us that he had
the solicitor of the Commerce Depart
ment and the Attorney General look
into the Copeland act to determine
whether its operation could be sus-
pended" said S. M. Blinken, counsel
for the Joint Strike Committee in New
York and a member of the committee
which interviewed the Secretary. He
was told that he had no authority to
suspend the act or any OF its sections
Secretary Roper told US that the
Commerce Department has received
more than $4,000 individual protests
from seamen against the Copeland
act"
Headed by Joseph Curran. chairman
of the New York Strike Committee
and Patrick Whalen, leader OF the
Baltimore strikers, the committee con-
sisted of Albert Lannon, New York
r. M. Jones, Masters. Mates ano
Pilots Union; Paul Rothman. Ameri'
can Radio Telegraphers' Association
s. M. Blinken, Joint Strikers Maritime
Council, and Ralph Emerson, Marine
Cooks and Stewards Union.
A prepared statement distributed
before the delegation appeared before
Roper said the main objections center
around those sections of the Cope
land and ship subsidy bills, which
provide the permanent discharge bool
and to the arbitrary powers given ir
regard to revocation of certificates o.
efficiency and to the establishment o.
a maritime commission.
I'VE are here to present certain
amendments to the bills which have
been drafted by the unions and in.
dorsed by tens of thousands of sea-
men. We Endorsed the resolution o.
AkEAI Rana A~QA