The Wilmington morning star., 1943-08-16
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER

NEW YORK.-In my discussion of insubordi-
nation, shrinking, ship-jumping and other Sc
rious misconduct of civilian sailors on the mer-
chant ships of the United States, I may have
given an impression that this sort of doing is
the rule on vessels manned by the communist
party-line" organization known as the National
Maritime Union If so, 1 should like to say
that it is not the rule. On the other hand
however, it is not exceptional but common
place.
good ship with good captain who knows
his authority and maintains it and treats his
crew fairly but firmly may have no trouble
at all. Many ships return from their voyages
with only a few petty entries in their logs
some of them due to honest misunderstanding
but even a good master of good ship may
have trouble with one or several sailors who
have carried over into the war the attitude
of nsolence and even of defiance which was
cultivated in time of peace with the encourage
ment of the new deals labor and maritime
agencies in Washington. This was reaction
to the historic ill-treatment of sailors but in
stead of stopping at the point where ancient
wrongs were corrected and the men were
guaranteed redress under the law the revolu-
tionaries went much further They discov-
cred that they could get away with conduct
which not only broke discipline but actually
jeopardized the lives of all on board, and that
by the time a complaint went through the
er wiped out or reduced to negligible size.
And the master, realizing that they were only
wasting some of their own precious time
ashore between voyages in attending hearings
and giving testimony, got discouraged and
overlooked offenses which, for the sake of
discipline, should have been logged and hon.
estly rebuked with the backing of the govern
ment.
Some ships are just bad ships, old, uncom-
| rtob1o Jir4x Of he oil it,1
of the crews often is consistent with that of
the vessels. Some grievances can be ironed
out and many are adjusted in port by few
words between an understanding executive of
the management and the union delegate who
makes the complaint. On the other hand,
however, careless or inefficient ships Off
Ger. may neglect or refuse to correct condi-
tions which should not exist and which increase
the normal discomforts of a hard calling, and
trouble follows over causes which the owners
may know nothing about.
Drunkenness on board is not a rare offense
but it is obvious that the ships could not have
made the record that they made if it were the
custom of a majoriy or even large minority
of the sailors to be roaring or beastly drunk
together No man begrudges the sailors right,
SO stoutly defended by some of the commun-
ists to get plastered in port after dangerous
crossing but it is compliment to the whole
personnel to over-emphasiZe this right in ar
gument, for that would suggest that they are
all rum-pots. The sailors, themselves, might
resent that.
! Much of the trouble arises from a course of
conduct which might be called mere heckling
Ihe communists adopted policy of ma ppne
the shippers and other officers with constant
petty demands and complaints just to show the
other sailors that they could violate the tradi-
ronal discipline of the sea and count on the
backing of their union and of the United States
government. This was lure to attract new
members and there is no doubt that the COM
m llunlsts nave greatly impaired discipline and
put some captains in doubt of their authority
Some of the new and young naval officers
commanding the blueprints of the armed Guard
crews also have put up with affronts to them.
serves serves and their men and their tolerance Of
tnls mischief may be attribated to their inex-
perlence IN command. These ensigns and lieu
'enshts are responsible for the safety of the