Evening star., 1938-02-17
M|N|M|zES RED
MENACE ON SHIPS
Miss Perkins Tells House
Group 1--WE Are UnduIy
Alarmed"

chant ships.
Il think We are unduly alarmed" I"
Miss Perkins told House appropria-
tions subcommittee during hearings
on the supply bill for her department,
over allegations of insubordination
and Communistic influences aboard
American ships.
American seamen seem to be Just
like all other Americans" the Secre-
tary said, good and sensible people.
They read pamphlets about these va
rious things, but are very little af-
fected by people who seem to be-as
expressed In their anguage-crack-
pots. I do not see any signs of any
tremendous spread of Communism
certainly not insofar as it relates to
taking over the ships.
Il am sure that there have been
instances of bad behavior, but whether
they are general or special I do not
know"
Situation Is Mixed Up.
The factional fight between the
Committee for Industrial Organization
and the American Federation of La
Dor has left a peculiarly mixed-up
situation with sailors of the East and
Gulf Coasts and longshoremen Of the
West belonging to the c. l. O., while
longshoremen Of the East belong to
the A. F. of L. Pacific sailors are
organized into an independent union.
Ollrinn hporinnc ho
Department supply bill, the committee
was asked by Comdr r. S. Field, new
director of the Bureau of Marine In
spection and Navigation, to make pro-
vision for enough inspectors SO OBJ
servers might be stationed on board
American ships to study the conduct
and attitude Of officers and crew.
Despite having so many complaints
that they are inadequately checked
Comdr. Field pointed out to the COM
mittee that there has been no ap-
parent decrease in safety OF travelling
on American ships since only one
passenger in two years has lost his
life.
In discussing labor conditions at sea,
Miss Perkins took the occasion to ex-
plain and justify her action during
one OF the first maritime sit-down
strikes, that on the S. S. California
in February, 1886, when she made
transcontinental telephone call to Joe
Curran. the strike leader, now head
of the National Maritime Union, and
persuaded him to call of the strike
on the promise no mutiny prosecution
would be undertaken.
The action was taken, she said, with
knowledge and approval of the De-
partments Of Commerce and Justice,
each having some jurisdiction in the
case. The ship was docked in San
Pedro, Calf, and about to sail for
New York, its home port, when the
strike was called.
Were Extremely Foolish"
Il think they were extremely fool
ish," Miss Perkins told the committee.
L thought So at the time, and SO
advised them. I did, however, think
it would be far-fetched to hold that
this constituted mutiny on the high
seas when the boat was attached to
the dock, and anybody could leave it,
and nobody was in danger.
1t seemed preposterous to me that
he tCurran) could not be persuaded
that the proper procedure was to take
the ship back to the port of New
York and make his complaint there.
And If Curran and his associates
| could be persuaded-they had done no
| damage to any one-to resume work,
1t seemed to me the much better
thing. So We persuaded him.
Il did this with the full concurrence
of the Attorney General and the Sec
retary of Commerce. Both knew what
We were doing and gave me word to
proceed"
| Agreeing that seamen should live up
to their ships articles after signing
for q voyage, Miss Perkins pointed
out that none Of the complaints about
American sailors have involved the
United States Lines, transatlantic
carrier and one OF the major Ameri-
can shipping concerns.
Believes Conditions Improved.
Asked to comment on general labor
conditions in the country, Miss Per-
kins expressed the opinion that the
Labor Relations and Social Security
Acts have improved conditions.
In order to create a condition OF
more strict observance of agreements
Miss Perkins disclosed that the con-
Citation service of her department is
attempting to work out more or less
standard language for such bargaining
pacts. Such a development, she point
ed out. would be particularly helpful
in employer contracts with some of
the large unions where the union
membership ranges over all degrees
of intelligence and understanding.
Sees Threat to Aviation.
The difficulty of keeping the Bu-
reau of Air Commerce abreast of the
development of civil aviation also was
discussed by the subcommittee in con-
nection with $14,0OO,OOO estimate
for the bureau. Assistant Secretary
johnson told the committee that un-
less the bureau receives funds ito
provide adequate facilities and in
augurate appropriate regulations,
American aviation industry will not be
able to maintain the high place it now
holds"
Members of the subcommittee sug-
gested the advisability Of equipping all
airliners with a new device which
would make permanent record of all
conversations between the pilots and
between the airplane and the ground
by radio, to be used in case Of accident
and subsequent investigation.