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(When you were young, did you have an itching foot. Did you dream of see ing the world? Most of us have these dreams but few of us ever see them in realization. A young man with the de termination to make his dreams come true in James FE. Anthony, a graduate of Amarillo High School and Yale Uni versity. He is a former Sandie foot ball player, James is the son of Mr. and Mr.. R. E. Anthony, formerly of Amarillo now of Clovia. He plans to enter the Baylor University School of Dentistry the fall but during the sum mer vacation he's on an unusual junket as the crew member of a Swedish freiehter. Here's the first of several oe reporting his experiences.—The tor. By JAMES FR. ANTHONY SCANDINAVIAN shipping lines are among the few in the world whose re methods are not restrict by a closed shop code imposed on them by the unions. At the Nordic Seaman's Center, jobs are offered to both and non-union men of all nationalities. The Center consists of one good-sized second -floor room, a small office at one end, ancient and miscellaneous furniture, and two bulletin boards. On one board is posted the ships, their tonnages, destinations, and jobs available. The other contains the names of those in a Nordic Seamen's Union seeking positions. Three times a day the jobs available are matched with the union men who can, or will, fill the jobs. Those jobs re maining after each matching are then given to non-union men. My plan was simple— to get on one of these ships. Work on American vessels is practically impossible. Over subscription on the National Mar itime Union has resulted in a virtual shutdown in new mem berships. Seven other students also were waiting for jobs when I arrived at the Center. Two of them held NMU cards and had previous experience on American ships, but the over-subscription and an apparent slack in Ameri can shipping had swollen the waiting lists for jobs up to four months. Ss I HAD ANTICIPATED diffi culties in two quarters. First, I had no background in any Scan dinavian language. Jem was quickly dispelled as I found English being spoken all around me with varying degrees of fluency. In fact, these people are so eager to better their Eng lish rather than bother with a beginner that it was practically impossible to learn over the sin plest of Scandinavian phrases. Secondly, I feared some an tagonism from some of the sea men towards American stu dents working on their ships merely as an opportunity to travel cheaply. At first I want ed to avoid the fact that I was a student, and I assume the looks of one desperately in need of a job. This was a mistake, for as one Swede put it suc cintly, no American, save a fool or a college student would work for foreign wages. Since I hated to admit to the first charge, I dropped any hint of pretense. And he was right. Starting pay for inexperienced seamen is ap roximately $45 per month, hard. one by our standards go fair by the Scandinavian economy. But again, here was no for concern. The ma jority seemed to take a good natured interest in all the stu dents, continuously offering us advice and encouragement, + + ON THE EIGHTH MORNING of waiting, Dick Dillenbeck of Dallas (a classmate at Yale) and I were both able to sign on a Swedish freighter, the M/S Floria, I was to be mess boy; Dick was to be in the engine room. At 8 o'clock that —— after medical examinations hurried packing, we were driv en to the ship which lay several blocks away on the waterfront. By 4 o'clock we were signed on. atlreener an attractive op eres of sturdiness. But what in my attention most of all was her destination — after load cargo along the eastern seabeanoes South America. JAMES BF. ANTHONY
Newspaper Details
Amarillo Daily News
Amarillo, Texas, US
Mon, Aug 16, 1954
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
James A.
USA 17 Jun 2026
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