Evening star., 1938-02-17
Maritime
Continued From First Page.)

Ryan that the N. NJ. U. had been send
ing ''goon" squads along the docks,
Mr.. Curran said % members of his
union had died and 1853 more had been
injured in water front violence since
he came out of the hold of ship two
years ago to assume leadership of the
newly organized group.
Seventeen of these men died of in
turies received on the picket line"
Curran added, land we accuse Ryan's
union publicly of responsibility for this
violence"
Not single question was directed
at Mr.. Curran by committee members
as he completed his sharply worded
testimony. Greetings between the
witness and Chairman Copeland had
been held to a minimum, and both
displayed impatience at being asked
to pose together for pictures.
AS Mr.. Curran left the stand he
was followed by a delegation of rank
and file members of the l. L. A., Ryan
union. who challenged the latter's
policies and his stewardship as head
OF their union.
At the outset of todays hearing,
Curran said:
'Of course, the fact that the state
ment accusing me of being Com
munist was made by Joseph P. Ryan,
whose reputation on the various water
fronts on the East Coast is not of the
best, makes it hardly necessary to dis
cuss any charges that he may have
made, but the fact that he attempted
to impugn the prestige and character
OF the National Maritime Union by
slandering ME makes it necessary to
answer his charges.
1T is my opinion that an investiga-
ton into the activities of Joseph P.
Ryan in the past few years would un-
cover much collision between himself
and crooked politicians and racketeers.
Denies He Is Communist.
II have not been Communist, am
not Communist now and I do not
believe that l ever intend to be a
Communist. Neither am on the pay
roll OF any organization except the
National Maritime Union. I receive at
present $40 week wages"
Turning his criticism to the Ship
owners. MIR. Curran accused them of
attempting to do everything in their
power to coerce and intimidate."
They could not defeat us on the
economic 'front.'" he said, 80 they are
asking the Government, which for
many years they have cheated out of
vast sums of taxpayers money that
cannot be accounted for today and
were exposed in the Black investiga-
ton, to legislate the organizations that
the seamen have built, out of exist
ence, and in place of these. regiment
the seamen SO that they may be able
to drive them back into the condi-
tions that existed before.
Contrary to the reports made by
various sources about the complete
lack of discipline and the almost mu-
tlnous character of the seamen on
American merchant ships today we
find letters and concentrations COM
ing in by the hundreds from such
well-known men as Cornelius Wander
bilt, the American Legion veterans
who made the trip to France and
many others. praising the efficiency
and fine character of these seamen
their well-disciplined activities and
their heroism under the most difficult
circumstances. Much has been said
against the seamen-why have these
reports which are favorable to the
seamen not been given the same con-
sideration as the other statements?' %
''The industrialists by the use OF
lying propaganda and confusing of the
public through the anti-labor press, >
Mr.. Curran continued, have at.
tempted to regiment the workers Of
: our country. They have prevailed ur
State governments in many districts tt
use armed force to break legi.imat,
strikes. These activities are not con
= sistent with our democratic form O
government. And it is because O
this, gentlemen, that We cannot stres
too strongly the immediate need O
remedial legislation drafted from la
bor's viewpoint, that will for all tim
prevent the recurrence of the chaoti
conditions which we feel have beel
brought about by the uncompromisinl