Evening star., 1943-04-10
Clio Plan 10 Reshape
All U. 5. Shipping
Rejected by Land
Proposals Are Wholly
Unwise,' VISA Head
Tells Trumon Group

Rear Admiral Emory S Land, heac
OF the War Shipping ton
has rejected proposals of CIO mari
time unions for sweeping reorgan.
1zation of all American shipping op-
eratlons, on the basis that the
recommendations are wholly un.
wise" and unavoidable.
That came to light yesterday when
Chairman Truman of the Senate
war Investigating Committee made
public memorandum written by
Admiral Land to the committee in
reply to charges filed by Joseph
Curran of the National Maritime
Union, Joseph Selly of the American
Communications Association, Harry
Bridges of the International Long
shore and Warehouse Union. ano
John Green of the Industrial Union
of Marine and Shipbuilders OF
America.
Asserting that the VISA was
fundamentally sound and more
efficient than that which is pro-
posed" Admiral Land told Senator
Truman he welcomed the investi-
cation of VISA that the committee
is currently making. The Senate re-
Gently approved another six-year
term for Admiral Land as war ship
ping administrator.
The unions have charged that
shipping space has been wasted on
such cargoes as toothpicks, bird
seed and caviar, that ships some
times took as much as month to
unload and that one ship sailing
between the United States and
North Africa carried 5000 tons of
sand. Philip Murray, CIO presi-
dent, has concurred in the COM
plants
Land Tells of CIO Plan.
In his memorandum to Senator
Truman, Admiral Land outlined the
unions reorganization plan as fol-
lows:
First. that all control over the
many phases Of ship opera tions, as
we'll as the movement of cargo, be
centralized in the War Shipping
Administration.
Second, that the administration
and formulation of policy concern
Ing these many activities be vested
IN a number of 'tripartite bodies,"
one covering the entire operation,
one in each of the many depart
ments of the VISA, and one in each
OF the many ports-each tripartite
group to consist of representatives
of labor, of management and of
Government.
Admiral Land held the first pro-
posal would involve the complete
abolition of the divisions of the
Army and Navy that are now
charged with the responsibility of
operating their merchant ships and
activities incident thereto" He fur
ther maintained it would require the
Army and Navy to transfer without
retaining any element of control or
ownership all ships now or here
after to be owned by and bareboated
to the Army and the Navy"
Sees Diffusion" of Control.
He said it also would take from
the two services control of terminal
facilities, warehouses, stevedoring
operations and transportation facili-
ties in remote parts of the world
and in areas within the active the
alter of military opera tions."
Turning to the second proposal.
Admiral Land said the system of tri-
partite groups would result in "the
diffusing and dispensing of the ex-
ecutlve control and responsibility
which would retard. rather than ac-
celerate, the work of this admins
tration."
Almost any problem arising in the
unceasing flow of daily shipping ac-
tivities-designed speedily to trans
port urgently food. clothing
and equipment to our troops and our
Allies on the various battle fronts
would require the decision of and
direction from large amorphous
bodies," the shipping administrator
wrote.
They would obviously constitute
cumbersome administrative ma
chlnery able to make decisions and
to administer operations, if indeed at
all, only after long and tedious de-