The Wilmington morning star., 1943-09-24
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER

BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
| NEW YORK; assume you know that the
draft appeal board has revoked the latest de-
ferment of second-front Joe Curran, the fair
weather sailor who went to sea for vacation
cruise after the Navy had brought the SUBJ
marines under control to the extent that the
Germans were losing submarines faster than
the U-boats were sinking cargo vessels. Cur
ran has been placed in la and theoretically
is due to be drafted as soon as he returns
from his vacation. Comrade Curran is presi-
dent of the National Maritime Union which
is political protege of the new DEAL and
he has been an uneommonly bloodthirsty ad-
vocate of an assault by American men on
the Channel coast Of France. Nevertheless,
he has been extremely bashful about military
service himself and hesitated to sail not only
until the submarines had been suppressed per-
haps only temporarily, as Col. Frank Knox
| ominously suggests, but until there was a min
imum risk of adverse weather conditions.
as his union phrased it in an official press
| release announcing his mission.
Although comrade Curran has been reclas-
sified, it need not be assumed that he will
see military service He enjoys high political
privilege like Harry Bridges the alien commu-
mist enemy of the American government, and
the wife OF Earl BroWder, head Of the COM
munist conspiracy against the United States;
and doubtless he will be allowed delays until
his 38th birthday and he seems absolutely
safe. Bridges and Mrs. BroWder both are
under orders of deportation but have not been
disturbed and will not be, although there is
plenty OF transportation to return them to
! Australia and Russia respectively.
In connection with comrade Curran's mis-
sion which is the business of his sector of
| the anti-American communist front in Russia,
Britain and Africa, the interesting point is
raised that, somehow he had been allowed to
learn the destination Of his vessel. The des-
tinations Of all American ships in these times
are absolutely secret and not even the master
knows where he is bound until the convoy is
made up and all hands board There
follows then conference Of the captains and
the commander Of the convoy and, theoret-
cally, no other person knows until the ship
has cleared the harbor whether she is going
to the South Pacific the West Coast or Europe
Curran, however appears to have had Sc
cret information, the possession of which by
a vacation sailor suggests dangerous leak
which might account for the loss of vessels
and lives in times past especially if such a
leak existed before Hitler attacked Russia
when the National Maritime Union and Com
rade Curran were doing their utmost to defeat
Britain and assure the triumph of the Nazis
| in the war
Proving that Curran did have such infor-
nation the union informed his draft board
| that he shipped on the first vessel which,
felt. would call at the ports where first
hand observation could be made" of certain
conditions which the union wanted to invest
! gigate. This letter to the draft board also
admits that his purpose was not to ship out
as a seaman but to carry out a policy of
the NMU, which is a part of the communist
front and is campaigning now to place the
| communists in control of shipping and loading
on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
The minutes of meeting in New York
| following the communist demo lstration at the
World-Telegram to demand suppression of in
formation concerning this communist inftra
ton of the American Merchant Marine have
just come to hand. They disclose that broth
er Parkns got up and said that because they
had refused to join the demonstration under
orders from the union office, he and several
other sailors had been set on the beach and
not allowed to SAIL although the Merchant
Marine is desperately short of sailors and
as Parkins said in meeting: I'VE want to
keep 'em sailing" Brother Parkins said he
knew nothing of the demonstration but that
even if he had known he would have refused
to join the parade.
Brother Joseph Stack the port agent, re-
piled that when brother Parkins admitted he
had failed to turn out and record his presence
in his union book, he, brother Stack, told
Parkins he would have to go to the bottom
Of the shipping list Brother Parkins then
said: Il wouldn't picket even for my mother"
Brother Jeffres h e n denounced brother
Parkns for Insulting you and me and our
dead in refusing to march; another said the
union had no room for him and still another
moved that brother Parkins be expelled from
the union and thus ruled off the sea for max
ing an anti-unon declaration before this meet
ng'
The end of it was that brother Parkins was
set on the beach along with three or four
other fellows in the same position and his
closing remarks to the comrades were: why
can't we ship out? We promised to keep 'em
sailing, we didn't promise to 60 picketing."