Evening star., 1939-08-13
U. 5. Officials Flying
To Probe Violence
On Ship al Sea
Two Officers, Of Boot
Badly Wounded by
Crew Members
By WILLIAM J. WHEATLEY.

Officials of the Commerce and
Justice Departments are en- route
by plane to San Pedro, Calf, to
meet ship now proceeding north
ward from the Panama Canal Zone
and plan to inquire first-hand into
what is described as a serious break
down of discipline aboard the ves-
sci.
Two officers of the S. S. President
Hayes of the American President
Line were critically wounded by
members OF the crew while the ship
was at sea between New York and
the canal. Two members of the
crew were placed in irons until the
ship reached Cristobal, where they
were turned over to civil authorities
and placed under bond for subse-
quent trial. Charges are facing
other members of the deck force
who refused orders of the captain
to aid the officers in quelling the
fight.
Chairman bailey of the special
Senate committee named to inves-
tlgate labor conditions in the
American merchant marine. has
called On the Bureau of Marine In.
spection and Navigation for a COM
plete report on the incident. AS
soon as this bureau was apprised OF
the incident by agents of the line
mere, COmdr. r. S. Field, director of
the bureau, ordered the Investigation
and personally went to the Justice
department, it was reported, to lay
the matter before the Attorney Gen
eral
The whole case has been sur-
rounded by secrecy and officials of
the marine bureau even refuse to
ADMIT they have knowledge of the
incident.
Probe Board Named.
Capt. N. E. Merrill, chief nautical
expert of the bureau, was appointed
chairman of an investigating board
the other members of which will be
two West Coast inspectors. Capt.
Merrilk was ordered to fly to San
Pedro, and two attorney for the
Justice Department were reported
also to have been ordered to fly
westward to assist in the investiga-
ton.
the investigators will have Coast
Guard cutters made available for
them so they may board the ship
before it makes its first port of call
in the United States at San Pedro
They are expected to proceed with
their investigation while the ship
proceeds to it's destination at San
Francisco.
Reports received here state that
while the President Hayes was in
the Gulf of Mexico, heading for
Cristobal, two crew members went
to the quarters of the assistant
engineer, awakened him and dragged
him out of his bunk, telling him
they were going to clear the ship
of "finks' and scabs." They were
told that the crew had labor clear
ance from New York and the en-
gineer is reported to have shown
the men the clearance papers, but
they then beat him severely. He
was left lying on the deck while
the two men went after the chief
engineer, severely beating and
wounding him.
Two Put in Irons.
When word of the fighting
reached the bridge, the captain re-
lieved the officer on watch and di-
rected him to take the members
of the deck crew and halt the fight
ing. The boatswain was ordered
official reports said, to take his men
to aid the officers in quelling the
fighting, but all refused. Finally
the officers succeeded in subduing
the two men and placed them in
irons.
It was said here that all members
Of the deck force who refused to
60 to the aid of the officers face
serious charges on arrival In San
Francisco. The matter was held
to be so serious that 1t was de.
cided not to leave the investiga.
ton to the local Federal authori.
ties, and this led the department.
to send Investigators direct from
Washington.