Evening star., 1941-04-20
Congress Soon 10 Get
Legislation 10 Avert
Shortage Of Seamen
Foreign Crews to Man
Vessels in U. S. Ports
If Use Is Authorized
By WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY.

Dy WILLIAM y. "hLA LEI
Legislation relaxing the crew re-
ouirements for vessels OF the United
States merchant marine to meet an
expected emergency in the man.
ming of vessels is being prepared
for introduction in the House prob
ably next week, 1t was learned yes
terday
At the same time it was made
known that when the President Is
authorized to take over foreign YES
sells now lying idle in American
ports they will be operated by for
eign crews, in order not to reduce
further the diminishing supply Of
seamen. This, it was said, also
will require changes in the stat
utes, which now require that Ii
censed officers and men Of the
merchant marine must be citizens
of the United States.
Failure to obtain sufficient IL
censed officers and men in the cur
rent emergency, it was said, would
result either in turning the ships
over to the Navy to operate with
naval personnel, which does not
have to be licensed in accordance
with the marine laws, or in re-
vising the requirements for quail
fications of officers and seamen.
Officers are required to have three
wears of service at sea to take
the examination for a third mate
and more time for second and first
mate and master. For a seaman II
requires q year to get limited or
blue ticket and three years to be-
come an able seaman with green
ticket. : AZ 70 ------45 zrss =
. Would Provide Big Increase.
The legislation proposed to meet
the impending shortage in seamen
is expected to provide an increase
of availables by approximately ST
per cent. The proposed law, it was
said, would reduce the number OF
three-year seamen required to so
per cent. 1t was explained that
the current statute now requires
that not more than one-fourth OF
be blue ticket seamen, that is, men
with one year of service. The re-
mainder must be three-year men.
In the case of a ship which re-
quires six able seamen, it was as
serted, only one could be a blue
ticket man, whereas under the pro-
posed statute three could be one
year men.
With the various governmental
agencies competing with each other
for manpower, the officials have in
stituted a study of the situation.
1t is estimated that during the
next three years the Navy will need
approximately $4,000 line officers,
and several hundred thousand Of
enlisted men. The selective service
is taking its toll, and industry, par
ticularly the increasing number of
shipyards, are. drawing their per-
sonnel from among seafaring men,
whose experience can well be used
ashore
Figures are being compiled by the
Maritime Commission, to show as
of yesterday a Nationwide picture
OF the available seamen. These
statistics are expected to be avail
able in time for the conference by
the commission here next Monday.
Attending the conference will be
union officials, representative of
governmental agencies concerned
with the problem, including ofii-
cials from the national selective
service headquarters.
World War Practice.
The plan to operate the foreign
ships in American harbors with for
eign crews, it was said, follows a
practice during the World War,
when seamen became scarce. To
waive the requirement that licensed
officers and seamen must be United
States citizens has been proposed
The plan calls for issuance, as was
done during the World War, what
is known as "red ink" licenses, which
would be good for the operation of
these foreign ships under the Ameri-
can flag during the period of the
emergency.
The 2l2 ships of the emergency
program for which contracts have
just been completed by the Maritime
Commission will be manned by 10
officers each, S on deck and S in the
engine room and an average of 56
men each, or 11,872 men. Ships
now being built, it was said, take
from 4S to 119 men each, depend.
ing on class and type.