Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-03-04

The reason for this retlCence
Is found in the fact that the
Pilot and the official minutes
were regular source of infor-
nation for outside reporters OPP
posed 10 communism IN the
merchant marine which is the
property OF the American people
and is manned largely in grow
ING proportion by young Ameri-
can sailors who detest' commu-
nlsm and oppose the nonseago-
ing Sa''s who haunt the Seapor's
and claim for themselves credit
for the sacrifices Of real sailors
who do accept the risks OF the
sea in wartime.
DR0MfNEN'f among these vi
Il carious heroes of the deep
arc one who calls himself Joseph
Curran. president of the NMU.
and another who calls himself
II Hedley Stone. the treasurer.
The one who calls himself
Curran is an uncommonly frag-
lie and hlgh-strung hero, for the
only time he has gone 10 sea IN 4
this war was during his summer |
vacation last year when he
actually announced that he Vas
taking A fair-weather cruise as
a vacation outing. and he suf-
fered nervous breakdown
when his wife had a child a few
months ago.
In particular. testimony con.
corning sailors charged with
selling sandwiches from the gall
10y 10 enlisted American SoidIeTs.
bound for the war, with trim
ming soldiers IN crap games
through the use Of loaded dice.
and with renting tables IN SOL
dicrS for their card games AZ
eNorhltant rates was deleted
from tho rslinuteS
I'VE one who calls himself
Curran also was AZ pains
IN recent meeting 20 soften =
previous ScurrilouS and general
denunclation Of young American
army officers sailing for the
war
This was consistent with
new policy Of attempting To APP
peaSe the army and navy men
sailing on merchant vessels in
the hope that after the war thev
viii forget tho many eXtortions
and indignitieS Of which they
were victims at the hands ~
Communist sailors
The president told the mem
hcrShip his abusive remarks re-
ferrcd only 70 a few liemenants
who were in league with the
ship owners 10 cause trouble
between tho GUN crows and SOL
dierS and the civilian merchant
sailors
Meanwhile, in recent months.
The Communists have been
alarmed Try TIM 5TTTvHi 0H tb0ard
The transport and cargo vessel
81 a new and unfamiliar hree
Of Young American merchant
sailors. officers and men. trained
by the government. who appa-
rently intend 10 follow tho sea
as calling after tho war These
neW men have high resistance
r. Communist ff1tit1tt mn fT7rT ard
discipline and do not yield easily
their right 10 their opinions.
WHERE, a year ago. the Conn.,
W munist sailors sn6ered AZ
tho naval uniform As a monkey
suit and Haunted their pay in
Guiding overtime and bonus
money AZ the enlisted men. both
army and navy. nowadays the
union Is running propaganda 10
tho effect that the union sailor
Is badly underpaid
ff'hfS new iine r1nff1rty
sharply with the unions previ-
Gus propaganda boasting of the
high pay bonuses. insurance
benefits and other gains for
which II was claiming credit
until the contrast with the en-
listed Solders' and sailors paw
became anirrltatieH ~ the er1.-
listed men and A-emhafrass-
ment 10 the union.
As an item Of the new prons-
ganda. a recent issue Of the
Pilot contained picture Of A
group Of licensed merchant ma.
rlne officers, not members
the NMU, and some enlisted
sailors for whom the mer-
chant men had given a dinner in
New York.
However, the basic conduct NJ
the unions inner affairs has not
changed and Curran announced
at recent meeting that he and
the other officials henceforth
would not bother with the for-'
mality Of trials of sailors
charged with "racketeerine
which means anything displeasV
ING 10 the ruling group. They
would simply clean them out !"
Moveovcr. as the first open
announcement Of the Comnu.
mist revolution after the war. he
promised that with the back 4
ing of epefy- soldier bark from
the trenches the union intended
TO nail the ship owners 10 the
wall
opyrshL 1919. b, rntsa F.,tur., sYnd