Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-15
By JAN VALTIN

workings of a compass. Had il
not been for the honesty of
the capitalist shipbuilders of
Germ any, Captain kostin
would have sent without hest
tation any leaking coffin to
brave the ice-infested Northern
Sea Route as long as that cof-
fin had the general contour Of
a ship. My first thought was
TO report this fraud to the
c.. p. u; Kostin. in my eyes,
deserved 10 be shot.
But Firelei saved Captain
Kostin's life. She thought him
a lovable chap. He enter
tanned us royalty, gave us
elaborate dinners. rooms in the
best hotel, and told us with
great enthusiasm that soon
Murmansk would be the fore
most fisheries port in the
world.
| had a free hand in fitting
out the Pioneer. l bought a
mountain of provisions 10 last
us not only through the voy-
age north, nut also for the
return trip by rail. for / knew
that Russia was then an eX-
tremely hungry country. When
/ began TO choose my crew,
however, ! ran into trouble.
TROUBLE GETTING MEN
Besides Firelei, VIII ON !
made the Pioneers cook, l
needed 10 men; a machlnlst,
three oilers. a mate. four able
seamen and a cooks helper. |
intended to recruit at least
four of my crew from the un-
employed members of the Off
GERS union, possibly members
of the NaZi Party, 10 have
impeccable witnesses that l
had really been a skipper. The
other six were to be bona fide
seamen from the ranks OF the
Communist Party. But the
Communist high command IN
Bremen, headed by Comrades
Robert Stamm and Nickel, dis
rupted my plans.
Stamm and Nickel main
tanned that / was liable 10
their orders. They stormed
against the plan of taking
along a few Nazis. They as
serted that NaZiS would wreck.
the ship en- route, commit acts
of sabotage once they were IN
the Soviet Union. All of the
Pioneers crew had 10 be party
members. and Sta m m ana
Nickel were going 10 supply
them.
We compromised in the end.
The Party Committee was 10
furnish five crew members
leaving me 10 select the other
five, provided none ef then. De-
loneed 10 an enemy organlZa-
tion. After the contract was
signed. the visas affised 10 our
napers. and the Pioner READY
10 sail. I found that among the
five men the Party had sup
piled not one had ever WORKED
aboard a ship. They were SIM
ply favorites of The Bremen
party chiefs. out 10 earn some
easv money, regarding the trip
as a iunket 10 the proletarlan
fatherland.
With Red flags flying, sirens
screaming, delegations fro m
the Party bidding Is farewell
and with CAPITA koshn
throwing smiles and kisses AZ
Firelei the Pioner pulled mo
the river and pointed It's bun
nose toward the North Sea. /
paced the bridge, hiding my
pride. and trying 10 assume a
most casual professional man
ner but watching, m "a n
while like a lynx every act OF
the grizzled old Weser pilot
as he eased the ship oown the
river.
I had no experienced mate
My engineer was in reality an
anto mechanic. OF my sailors,
ONLY two could steer a ship
The rest made up by electlng
ships committee, a Prov
sions commission, and kultur
kommissar to organize Marx
lists entertainment during the
voyage.
Below the town of Brake,
we met the tide and ran into
short, choppy seas. Before we
had &c h Q d Bremerhaven.
where the river meets the
North Sea, the president of the
provisions commission and the
Kultur CommisSar draped
ereenish faces over the stern
rail.
you've a nerve" the griz-
zled Weser pilot turned to me.
For 1000, 5000 rubles. I
wouldn't go to Murmansk on
this ship"