Evening star., 1939-09-08
Crews Aid Offered
Free, Conditional|y
To Americans Abroad
PIon Suggested if
Ship Owners Make
No Fare Charges
0y the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Sept. 8.-Joseph
Curran, president of the National
Maritime Union &C. I. o., today
offered the services of union mem
bers on a volunteer basis, without
pay. to man ships to bring stranded
Americans back from Europe, pro-
vided the ship owners carry the
passengers free and carry no cargo
Mr.. Curran made his offer in a
telegram to President Roosevelt
Copies were sent to Secretary Of
State Cordell Hull. Secretary of Com
merce Harry Hopkins, Secretary of
Labor Frances Perkins and to Emory
S. Land, president Of the United
States Maritime Commission.
Mr. Curran. in a statement to
reporters. said there were many
ships on the Eastern seaboard which
now are tied up, but could be used
to bring American refugees home.
At the same time he emphasized
the perils of sailing in European
waters, pointing out that insurance
companies have raised their rates
for passenger traffic and cargo.
Possible Tieups Faced.
Mr.. Currans offer came at time
when four American ships, rushed
into emergency service to return
Americans from Europe, faced pos
sible tieups because of seamens de-
mands for higher pay in war-zone
service.
Dissatisfaction was apparent
among seamen of United States
Lines vessels after the Manhattan
docked yesterday and the company
prepared to send her out again to-
morrow.
When the line announced the
Cuban mail liner Orizaba might sail
today, officials of the National Mari
time Union said they did not know
whether the seamen would go. They
said the union would send men to
the ship, under its agreement with
the line, but that there were no
means of forcing them to sign on.
Two other United States Lines
ships, the American Importer and
the American Banker, also were
scheduled to sail today.
Demands of Union.
The union, in it's war zone de-
mands, asks bonus of $3.50 a voy-
age for each seaman, $25 600 individ-
ual insurance and a 40 per cent in
crease in the manning scale of ships
Shipping operators declared they
could not meet such demands, even
with greatly increased rates.
In Boston eight seamen of the
Government-owned freighter Chal-
lenge were paid off and dismissed
yesterday because they refused to
sail for English ports without bonus
and insurance. The other seamen
signed and the Challenge sailed 26
hours late.
Ten Dutch members of the crew
of the German tanker Pauline Fried
rich won permission to leave the
vessel, anchored at Boston since
Sunday. They did not want to face
the danger of shipping on German
vessel, and immigration authorities
allowed them so days to find way
to return to Holland.
Rex Sails for America.
The Italian Liner Rex sailed from
Genoa, Italy for New York today
practically filled with Americans
fleeing from the war zone.
A few berths were reserved for
passengers waiting at Naples. The
Rex is scheduled to leave there at
noon tomorrow
A number of Italians were aboard
among them Italian Consuls Genera,
at San Francisco and Baltimore.
The Liner Conte di Savoia Il
scheduled to leave in a few days
Other Italian boats were reported
resuming their services to Latir
America shortly.
Officials said many passenger.
were unable to find space in thu
Rex. Americans who paid theil
fares In dollars were given the frs
choices in this sailing.
Two to Sail for U. S.
The United States Lines an
A1ouIlSCo UOQdy JIldL IIlt
passenger liners Washington anc
President Harding would sail mex
Monday from Southampton loadet
to the decks with Americans feein,
from the war.
The ships previously had beer
scheduled to sail September 10
Neither the number of Americana
sailing nor the passenger lists wer,
Immediately available
The French liner lie de Franc,
was believed to be nearing New
York today with more than 1,0Ot
passengers, most of them American
fleeing the European conflict.
The 42,00O-ton floating Art Gal
lery was completely shut off from
communication as she sped over tn
North Atlantic presumably at he
full 81 knots.
Shipping authorities kept an ey
out for her yesterday, but expresse,
little or no anxiety. Some confusion
over her departure time from L.
Havre grew out of the censorship
placed over all French shipping
news last Saturday.
The best estimate was that tn
ship left lie Havre on Sunday