The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-09-28

Says
BOake Carter
Ship Union Demands
Bonus and Insurance
New War Danger

THE maritime unions are rails
L ing Cain with the Maritime
Commission, because the COM
mission refused to approve a
bonus of $3.50 and a $4,000 in
surance policy for every Seamen
on an American ship entering a
war zone.
Here is most interesting
situation wherein once again
the United States Government,
if it does not keep wide awake,
can find itself involved in sud-
den and unexpected trouble.
The commission approved a
$50 bonus as a fair figure and
left open the question Of in
surance for seamen. Whereupon
the union announced the COM
mission was in cahoots with
Spanish rebels, the Japanese
and ship owners.
They cited navy orders warn
ing shipping about pirate sub
marines in the Mediterranean
and danger zones in the Far
East. They cited also the bomb
ing of the Dollar liner, Presi-
dent Hoover.
OBVIOUSLY the bla t h er
" about the Maritime Com
mission being the ship owners
rubber stamp" and playing
footie with the japanese and
Spanish rebels is so much no
KUN. On the other hand, 1t
seems to me the commission is
sticking its neck out and invit'
ing trouble by taking an official
hand in a situation Of this ma
ture.
If it be perplexed, it has the
best out in the world right ua-
der its nose. If the maritime
unions produced navy orders
warning merchant shipping, the
Maritime Commission can pro-
duce President Roosevelt's
warning to private operators
that if they want to do a war
trade with belligerent nations
they must do so "at their own
risk"
The commission, with perfect
logic, may point to the seamen
and say likewise: "You are not
forced to sail on any ship going
into a war zone. If you ship
aboard such a vessel you will
be doing so Of your own free
will and with your eyes wide
open"
TT seems to me that this cues
= ter of bonus, wages and in.
surance for seamen shipping
into war zones is not a matter
for the United States Govern
ment, but a matter entirely be-
tween seamen and the owners.
If the United States Govern
ment, through the Maritime
Commission, stamped official
approval on any bonus for serv-
ice of this nature the Govern.
ment automatically places itself
in the embarrassing position of
multiplying its own advice.
1t would be giving tacit ap-
proval to war trade to belliger.
ent nations among private ship
operators, approval Of the kind
of thing that sent Germany into
the U-boat blockade in the
World War.
IT seems to me that this ques-
= ton is one to be settled be.
tween seamen and owners. #
the owners don't or won't give a
reasonable bonus to seamen 60
ing into war zones, then GER
tainly the seamen will be fully
justified in refusing to. man
ships sailing in such trade. And
public sympathy will support
them.
But the maritime unions are
cockeyed in demanding $3.50
bonus and $4,000 insurance per
man. No owners could pay such
sums and not go broke.
Let the Maritime Commission
draw the attention of the unions
of today to World War history.
The bonus for A. BIS on the
North Atlantic was SO per cent
of the monthly pay and Is per
cent for all other seas Of the
world-shipping out of New
York, that is.
This rate went for Seamen on