The Wilmington morning star., 1943-09-04
BY WEsTBROOk PEGLrR

BY WESTBROOk PEGLER
NEW YORK.-The communist control of the
National Maritime Union is still honoring the
New York World Telegram and the central Of
fices of the Scripps-Howard newspapers and
me with patrol of demonstrators, demand
ing the suppression of these dispatches be-
cause they have revealed the character of
this political fifth column in our ports and
aboard merchant vessels
In the original demonstration at the World
Telegram the union claimed there were $500
sailors on parade, but the personnel was
changing constantly as individuals dropped
Into the saloons drifted away and there
was no certainty that all even a majority
ct them were sailors. However, those who
did belong to the union had no choice They
were ordered to patrol just as Mussolini used
10 turn out his so-called students for spontane-
oLs popular demonstrations in Rome and
they had to check in and out through the
unions office. The line included many of the
usual communist types who are always on
call on masquerade as workers of various
crafts around t h premises of institutions
which are under pressure. The White House
was one of the institutions which under
pressure. The White House was one of the
institutions thus honored few years ago
when this union was cooperating with all
the other communist organizations to prevent
the rearmament of the United States for war
The communists saw the unWisdOm of the
patrol in force when it was pointed out that
this country is SO hard up for merchant sail
that it has been necessary to turn over
increasing numbers of our new freighters to
the British NorWegians and other maritime
nations which have surplus of experienced
seamen Therefore. the parade has been re-
duced to skeleton size at this writing and Joe
Curran, the president of the union, who was
allowed to dodge the draft on the ground that
he was indispensable in his mana cement of
communist party-line union, has signed on
for a vacation cruise 10 Europe The waters
have been pretty well cleared OF submarines
by the same American bluejackets and young
commissioned officers whom his communist
followers heckled and harassed so persistently
and Mr.. Curran is reasonably safe, thanks
to them He neglected to get passport or
clearance from his draft board.
AS to the supply of manpower for our mer-
chant ships (while Curran has men to spare
for parades for coercive PURPOSES Admiral
Emory S. Land, the administrator of the war
shipping administration, recently wrote that
we had already delivered 10000 tons of our
new shipping to Norway and were planning
to allot three ships to the Dutch.
ITO the British" he wrote, arrangements
have been made to bareboat for the duration
of the war only, from IS to 20 ships month
for the next 10 MONTHS which would be
minimum of $50 and maximum of 200 ships
loaned to the British because we have an
oversupply of sidewalk sailors for fifth col
umn political work but shortage Of seagoing
men. All such ships are to remain American
property
Curran has advanced several proposals in
recent months, some all OF which may
have eluded the American people. In one ne
demanded that his union, meaning himself,
be represented at the peace conference: in
l,o tod
moved from merchant ships and the guns
and ammunition turned over to the members
of his party-line organization: and. finally
when the heat really began to ntrt the com
munists. he suggested that henceforth n e
Coast Guard be relieved of its present power
and duty to try and sentence mutlhous ana
insubordinate merchant sailors tor ]eopardlz-
ING lives and shippine and that this authority
be turned over to the union. meaning Curran
and his communist circle. lnaSmuch as Cur
ran once expelled from the union and drove
off the sea sailor who mad proposed all
anti communist resolution and the American
government upheld him, (even though n
man was employed on government vessel
it will be seen that this would permit Curran
to nut down all anti-communist sentiment and
| activity in the American merchant marine
When I mentioned the heat, was referring
| to the fact that for the duraCoh o1 Ihe Wal
| if has been found absolutely necessary 10 re-
move disciplinary powers from the Jurlsolc-
ton of the Department of Commerce. Under
the Department. of Commerce loaaed with
new dealers and pro-communists' 1t was I'M
possible to maintain discipline, because after
a skipper had logged and punished man tor
some dirty work the penalty would be oil
minished or Cancelled on appeal On the other
hand the Commerce Department encouraged
the union to file all kinds of false and petty
charges against the masters and the result 81
was that the captains lost authority and the
communists did as they pleased
This became unbearable, however, ana scan
dial began to get around as young naval men
and soldiers carried on transports Sd" Wha1
was going on, so the Coast Guard was ": gwen
the. lob Of enforcing the laws and olsclp!ne.
Now Curran wants the government 10 reheve
the the" Coast Guard and let him decide what
misconduct is, and administer the punish,
ments: which would mean that ne eoulo Sc,
On r'' the beach any sailors who disobeyed the
union in any matter. .o,,,a ro.++ers
will keep you advised on some MN lna ao7o.
that VOL, NAV never have heard Of the com T.
munists will say, of course that al TINS hee ~
a vicious slur on brave men VINO nave us
lost but one of the unions most sentiment tas,er
mourners for these brave men %