Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-12-10
FAIR
ENOUGH
BY Westbrook
PegIer
prom time TO time these es-

EROM time 10 time these es-
L sayS have revealed the
hatred of the Communist-fr.
National Maritime Union for l.
enlisted sailors and commits
stoned officers placed aboard
merchant vessels 10 fight. off
submarines.
This bitterness has expressed
itself in Sneers az the naval uni
form derided as a monkey suit.
heckling and tauntS about the
great disparity in pay for SINH
lar risks.
Exposed in their campaign
against the morale and loyalty
of the fighting services, the
Communists angrily denied in
cidents which are matters of Of
fetal report in the navy and
coast guard records, and even
set about ingratiating Them
selves with the navy men by
collecting pools out of the high
wages, which they offered the
fighters as tips for beating off
attacks by planes and Subma-
rines.
AS proof of the attitude of
this Communications union
toward the navy, and army az
well, ! cite herewith some re-
marks delivered at a meeting Of
the National Maritime Union
Nov Is, by Joseph Curran. its
president. who recently received
from President Roosevelt an ar
bitrary draft deicrment which
places him beyond harms reach
for the duration Of the war.
CURRAN had been discussing
" overtime pay, which Is the
principal concern Of most civil
ian sailors OF this union. Then
he said:
"Now we have another thing
10 report on today. The ships
today are afflicted with 90-day
wonders"
This contemptuous remark
referred 10 the young nalx
ensigns, mostly college MI
They come from att over ~
country. Some of these WON
ders are ensigns In command
Of "A gun crew. Laughter }
Then YOU have a guy who Is
known a. a nurses aid in some
parts. He carries a manual in
his pocket. He II a second
lieutenan In the army.
"On this particular ship !
want to tell you about how the
whole crew WAS put under
arrest for stealing army prop
erty We found that every one
on the ship with the exception
Of one or two were new boys
who didn't know what II was
all ibout. We went down and
we looked over the gear that
was supposed 10 have been
stolen. There were a couple Of
81 Jumpers that the soldiers
had thrown away on the ship.
There was another 81 jumper
that one guy had won in crap
game. Laughter
s. 4 MOTHER one had on a
"A shirt which was ~old To
him by "a soldier. There were a
couple of pairs OF shoes which
were too heavy for a soldier 10
wear 80 he left them. That il
the extent Of the gear for which
the whole crew vas going TO be
arrested.
This gives YOU an indica-
ton of what YOU can run into.
In order TO keep out from under
second lieutenants and ensigns,
don't take any of that gear and
don't allow anybody Ia put IL
in crap game. We know they
have the finger on the merchant
men.
1--WE know they go around
telling the soldiers that mer-
chant scamen make too mthh
money, that they are d
dodgers"
Tho truth n, Of course that
thicNerv Is common among
union merchant sailors many
of whom are illltcrate riff-ra!
from the Caribbean who can't
even sign articles and that
young armed guard officers
have been constantly haraSScd
by the fixed policy Of the Com
munists TO turn the enlisted
sailors against them.
Curran> Sneers about the 90
day wonders and the army
officer whom he called
nurse staId are typical express
Sions 81 this Communist front
toward the loyal Americans on
the merchant vessels. Ncverthe-
less. he enjoys high favor at the
White House and has been
photographed in ceremonies
with both the President ana
Mrs. Roosevelt
Copyright 1913. by United Features, synd.