The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-10-15
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
Copyright, 1914, King Features Syndicate, In

COpyr1ght, 1874, King Features syndicate, Inc.
NEW YORK, With a grateful bow to Pres-
dent Roosevelt for his use of the word fraud"
in his Grafton to the goons in Washington
shall try to clarity a particularly nasty fraud
perpetrated on loyal American merchant sail
ors by the National Maritime Union, which
unerr1ngly follows the communist party line
and receives many favors from Mr.. Roose.
welt, himself
This organization has recently held an cleo
ton in which, by its own admission, 10000
American sailors were disqualified because
they had not been members for six months.
That, however, is by no means the only pro-
salts who run the union to perpetuate them
selves in office and promote the communist
program on American ships.
The primary qualification, Of course is the
poll-tax. If sailor isn't paid up, ne can't
vote. And, Of course, the penalties for non
payment of q union poll-tax are much more
painful to the victim than the mere denial of
the ballot to delinquents in the poll-tax states.
The man who doesn't pay his union poll-tax
loses his right to earn his living and may
even be driven out of vital war job. And, if
he persists in his refusal as decision of pa
triotic principle may be utterly ostracised
from most lines Of work wherever he goes in
the United States by means OF the union black
list The Southern pou-tax delinquent suffers
no refusal of public or private employment
and may take full advantage OF all public IA
cilties.
The qualifications for office in the National
Maritime Union were ingeniously rugged to
make it impossible for actual, sea- going sailors
to dislodge Mr.. Roosevelts pro-communist and
outright communist dockside adherents.
To be eligible for office a sailor must have
been member Of the union for at least a
year and sailor for at least two years. We
have seen that 1000 men carrying supplies to
the war were deprived Of the vote. Now we
begin to perceive that practically all the war;
time recruits to the merchant marine are in
eligible Tor office because the vast majority
OF new men have had less than two years
of sea service. These are the people whom the
communists OF Mr.. Roosevelt's following in
the N M. U. fear most, notwithstanding
tremendous propaganda directed at them from
the time they enter training They are in the
main, typical young Americans and are not
reliable" from the political standpoint of the
communists. But they have no effective voice
IN the union meetings at the national head
quarters and they are subject to peremptory
dismissal from the union and referral back to
their draft boards and induction into the Army
II they speak against communism either afloat
or ashore.
Joseph Curran, the president of the union,
once boosted that he would fire out of the
rganization without trial, anyone whom he
regarded 'racketeer'' term underlined
in the Constitution The unions minutes and
It's official publication, formerly were heavily
salted with orninous notices of men dismissed
Tor W years and thus barred from most Amer
lean SHIPS Tor antl-union conduct. Refusal to
associate with colored man in hours off
watch and expressions of racial or religious
prejudice are high crimes for which an offend
er may be set on the beach and cited to his
hno rd 1,,to h fieo iny1c SOL
sailor Freedom of selection of companions
and freedom of speech thus are two primary
verbotens among Mr.. Roosevelts maritime
auxiliary and the communists constantly force
the racial issue in degree deplored by most
moderate Negro leaders by promoting occa
sions for compulsory racial mingling by both
sexes. Sailors who are not quite ready for this
relationship are liable to expulsion and Danish
ment from the sea.
Incidentally, the minutes and the official
union paper ceased to publish the sentence2
imposed by the kangaroo courts in an effort
to conceal this information from the public.
However, through loyal American friends who
are perforce members Of the, union, l. regu-
larly receive detailed information of the hid
den proceedings.
Another qualification for office requires
that candidate shall have been ashore not
more than. six months before his nomination
except in the case of incumbent officers nonai-
mated to succeed themselves. The incurnbents
don't have to 60 to sea at all and none of
them does.
But by still another union rule, if man
spends more than four weeks ashore he falls
into bad standing and thus becomes nel-
eble for either office or the vose with the
result that none Of the thousands OF loyal
Americans can remain on the beach long
enough to develop a following and Campo ign
for office. BY these provisions, anti.conannu