Detroit evening times., 1945-10-19
WESTBROOk.
PEGLEN
Enough

THE current trouble along the
u New York waterfront has
long been anticipated by JOSEPH
Ryan, the president Of the Inter.
national LongShoremen's Asso-
citation of the AF'L. as Com
munist invasion of the Atlantic
Coast ports.
During our war with the Axis
and Japan. and an uneasy truce
b tween Ryan and Bridges,
Bridges made many trips to the
East although he was, much ef
the time, formally adjudged 10
be a member of a SubverSive or
ganization and thus subject to
deportation.
This status was changed re-
Gently by the majority of the
Roosevelt Supreme Court on the
ground that Bridges could CO.
operate with Communists for
objectives legitimate 10 labor
organizations without subScrib-
ing TO their ultimate purpose 10
overthrow the American gov-
ernment by force and violence.
@/s -
DEING now citizen. admit
~ ted by the courts decision
after a long contest, Bridges
enjoys the right Of any citizen
to Join the Communist parry
and work for It's total objectives
as well as for the purposes Of
the Communists which the court
held 10 be legitimate harmless
activities Of an alien
The National Maritime Union.
Which has Consistently followed
the political line of the Com
muniStS, is Bridges ally in the
attempts 10 Selzc control Of
Ryan following and destroy
Ryan power 10 resist the pene.
trallon OF the Atlantic ports. "
The attitude OF Joseph Cur
ran president OF the NMU. was
stated in letter 10 me in May.
-IIq4.,2, q,
Ills union had lQlncd- II u pIa--
gram adopted by other Go
groups i'm which The Communist
influence was strong # not ac-
tually predominant, 10 oppose
war assistance 10 France and
Britain
President Roosevelt Wa> de-
nounccd as one VINO wanted war
and The Com p4-t4- r. y ~ - ---4lr-t7--r4
chanting The Yanks arc not
coming
TlIlS attitude changed over
L night III Junc. 1911, when
Hitler attacked Russia.
I'm my opini on" CuIran
wrote me, this did not become
a peoples war until the Soviet
Union was attacked.
Sporadically, throughout The
participation of The United
State, in the actual war, these
dispatches examined The facts
al ihe conduct Of Communist
merchant sailors m hara a,SUg
young American enlisted navy
men and lunior officers detailed
e gun crews aboard merchant
ships
Their great advantage in pay
over the loyal American navy
mon was emphasized and such
publicity va, loudly resented by
tuian while al the same tune,
hc was boasting to hi, member
ship of The high rate, which he
had obtained for them.
III hc navy G a m pc dOWn
secrecy on the log-book> OF The
ships and official reports turned
IN by the young commanding
officers OF tho armed guard de-
tails. 50 that the public could
not learn OF outrageous and
often threatening department
by Communist merchant sea-
men many OF them aliens
Nevertheless, on the basis of
navy intelligence reports. D. IS
possible 10 state that lnSubofdl-
nation is a mild word for the
defiant and provocative conduct
OF many such scaianng Conn
munl>ts
I ATER according 10 the new
II Communist policy of COR
ruptng The patriotism of The
American enlisted blueiaCkot.
The attitude OF The Communist
merchant camCn changed
Now they attempted 10 draw
Tho navy men into fratcrnlla-
ton by sharing their luxurious
rationS with them and oven IN
Somc cases, taking up cash col
lcctionS for division m onc
them
Al his time. hdm Emory
Lind of The War Shlnr.uo Ad-