The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-11-10
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
NEW York; was foregone conclusion
that, on appeal to Washington, Joseph Curran,
the president of the National Maritime union,
would be permanently excused from the arm
ed forces and relieved of all risks of that sec
ond front in France for which he and other
soap-box commandos of the communist party
line have been clamorirg. In recognition of
his valuable services in furtherance of the
conspiracy to seize the American merchant
marine, Mr.. Curran has been placed in IA by
Major General Lewis B. Hershey, director of
Selective Service, who acted by order of Presi-
dent Roosevelt. The case went to the President
on appeal by the union, which is to say on
appeal by Curren himself, because he runs the
union, after appeal board No. had over-ruled
a deferment granted by local board Is. Mean
while, of course. other clients of local board
49, lacking Currans political influence at the
White House and the correct theology, are off
in the fighting forces, some of them, no doubt,
in battle.
Curran's slogan and the basis on which his
indispensabiity was based is that he keeps
them sailing by sending other men to sea
through the agency of the union. That many
of those who do go to sea civilian merchant
sailors have been draft-dodgers attracted by
the high wages, some of the officers of the
Nays armed guard or pun crews will testify
with DISGUST if they assured that they will
not be identified until the war is over and they
are safe from political persecution by the pro-
communist authority in Washington. Thus the
Navy department protects the Nays enemies
and Furnishes officers who would like to tell
about the loafing of union sailors and the heck
ling and harrassment of enlisted men by sea-
going civilians. One such officer recently told
of taking a stand when his vessel was attack
ed and threatening to shoot any member Of
the crew who tried to put a boat over and
abandon the ship without orders while his own
bluejackets stood by their guns. He recalled
also the refusal of a young merchant sailor
to help his men load ammunition because
that was not his work And the incident aboard
transport in which the merchant crew knock
ed off at quitting time and took the winch
controls into seclusion with them SO that the
army could not scab their jobs of unloading
stores which were needed in hurry by SOL
diers fighting the Japs not far away, has been
related independently by two young officers,
one of the Navy the other of the Army back
from the South Pacific In fact, the files of
the Navy, the Coast Guard AMI the shipping
companies contain rich and racy record OF
the conduct and attitude of unionized civilians
in the war zones in contrast with the dlsclpl1n-
ed loyalty of the armed forces.
The secret of the contrast may be found in
the oath which is forced upon sailors of the
merchant service WHICH IulS DIS lOliOWo.
solemnly swear to be true and loyal to the
union and the labor cause and to put into prac-
tce the principles laid down by the preamble
and the constitution, and to obey all rules
the union may adopt" The enlisted sailors
and commissioned officers, of the Navy, OF
course, swear to uphold the Constitution of the
USA above all others.
Under this oath, the merchant sailor makes
himself liable to fines and to dismissal from
H. L. ,11t,ic1 q
notable case, man actually was put on the
beach in New York and fired from an Army
transport at that because he had offered
resolution against communism IN conVen-
ton of Curran's union in Cleveland
And, although, Mr.. Curran gets his deter-
ment for keeping 'em sailing and although
many new American ships have been turned
over to the British, Norwegians and Dutch be-
cause we could not Them this union
through it's own private system OF Kangaroo
courts, regularly grinds out sentences which
rule sailors off the sea for periods OF from SIX
months to SO years or life for conduct I'M
becoming union member which may be on
ly an anti-communist remark, impoliteness to
communist union official or some familiar
manifestation of racial disharmony.
At one recent meeting 10 sailors were beach
ed for varying periods, at another two were
laid up and at another II we're subtracted
from merchant service, most OF them for
conduct unbecoming to union men,
Mr.. Curran constantly boasts that he has
raised the civilian sailors wages enormously
but the union just as vigorously resents re-
minders that the men are paid vastly more
than the buejackets who sail On the same
ships and share the same periis
The union is much embarrassed by refer
ences to draft-dodging and therefore one broth
er recently was expelled from the union be-
cause, among other offenses, he was alleged to
have said he was net interested in the union
and would not be at sea now had 1t not been
for the draft board"
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