Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1943-02-12
Washington
Scene
By VIRGINIA GARDN
LAND COMES THROUGH

LAND COMES THROUGH
The anonymous smear against
members of the Natl. Maritime
Union eCIO), which was repeated
daily by the defeatist press for al
most week, was too much even
for Rear Admiral Emory c. Land.
The result is a tribute to the
patriotism, courage and. devotion
to duty" of Americas 10000 mer-
chant seamen.
Lands report, it's true, was re-
quested by War Information Direc-
tor Elmer Davis, "to clear up ru-
mors and reports of personnel diff
ficulties among the crews of the
nations war cargo carriers" and
released by him. But Land came
through.
And, he said in his report, the
merchant seamen came through
some of them. They delivered the
goods"-but only at the sacrifice
of 5000 in dead and missing only
$3.50 of their total number in
the last year, in the conservative
figures of the Maritime Commits
sion.
The casualties run much higher.
But in dead and missing only, they
exceed the percentage Of casualties
of the armed services to such an
extent that the report says:
Casualties of the armed services
in the same period amounted to less
than 19o of their total number"
About three-fourths Of the off
shore merchant seamen are always
at sea-"in the front line" Land
says.
STIMULATING PRODUCTION
Before a score of newspaper
cameras Rear Admiral C H. Wood
ward leaned over a bewildered
Iowa couple. At a photographers
suggestion, he threw an 90
around the father, Thomas F
livan, and the flashlights wenN VII
Commander S. ]. Singer, aide to
the admiral, who is chief Of the
navy's incentive division tits
function is to stimulate production
for the navy), then explained
busily to reporter that the Sulli-
vans would just tell the workers:
Work harder"
PARENTS OF 5 MISSING
SAILORS
The Sullivans are the parents of
the five Sullivan boys missing in
action after the sinking Of the
Juneau off the Solomons. They are
from Waterloo, la.
During most of the press inter-
view, held in Woodward's office,
reporters sat rigidly in their chairs
or stared at the floor Mrs. Sulli-
van talked with poise and dignity
Her husband, for 33 years a coa.
ductor on the Illinois Central rail-
way, sat beside her, silent except
when prompted into speech.
Singer stood just behind Mrs.
Sullivan's shoulder throughout the
interview, and was never at loss
for a word.
"We want to help the navy all
we can. We're going to visit de-
fense plants and hope the boys
will work harder. The faster they
turn out the ships the sooner
other boys will be able to CONS
home to their Mothers" Mrs. Sui.
livan said.
COMDR. PROMPS Z
CONVERSATION
Whenever there was lag in the
conversation, the commander would
say, "Now tell them how you feel
about production" or "They feel if
the boys on the ships can do their
parts, so can the boys in. the
plants"
"Thell them about your hearing
Che news, and how it was broken
to you," Singer directed.
81 guess Dad better do that"
said Mrs. Sullivan. pulling herself
more erect and staring with mos
tening eyes at far corner of the
room.
Pm union man." Sullivan
later told me and a reporter from
Labor, organ of the brotherhoods.
He fumbled in his pocket and pro-
duced his union card. "I've been in
the Order of Railway Conductors
for 33 years. If the corporations
will give union labor a fair deal,
we'll have better production"