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B§ ll'ewffcrwnlr #V##rr*T*HE FIRST expose of the viciou* * character of the riff-raff whc got fantastic pay plus overtime* and bonuses for sailing aboard American merchant ships in the war comes in sidelong fashion in the December issue of the Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute, a highly professional publication by and for naval officers.„ While the war was on the American merchant marine was treatedas the property ol the maritime unions. The favored union was the National Maritime union of the C. I. O., which followed the Communist line and included many Communists among its bosses. Joseph Curran,wv/iv the president, waspeullk indistinguish ablefrom his Communist colleagues during the war, but he pretends, at least, that in some internal political fight since V-J day he broke with the Bolsheviks. Like Mike Quill, of the Transport Workers, he nowprofesses to be their enemy. It remains to be seen whether they have changed. After all, Stalin signed up with Hitler.The article in naval institnte proceedings was written by Lieut. Holmes F. Crouch, of the coast guard, the service which had the difficult duty of trying merchant marine criminals, from murders and Communist saboteurs to pilferers, during the war.This duty was the more difficult because Curran and other union-eers, including many Communists, enjoyed the favor of the White House and the war labor board. Thus any patriotic officer who offended thm took a risk of political persecution. It was difficult, too, because law and jurisdiction were vague and witnesses were hard to find.7- w Mr. Crouch would 1 °°* have risked his future a in writing his article r, when Roosevelt and^Donco his wife were to theWhite House. Even now he takes some chance because the National Maritime Union raised a strident protest the minute the publication hit the mail chutes. His future will bear watching for this reason.Crouch does not propose the absorption of the merchant marine into the navy, but he does insist that discipline is bad and must be excellent if the merchant marine is to serve as an adjunct to the navy, the army and the air force. And he warns the country that the reform must be made right away because war will come without warning if it comes.He then goes into particulars of outrageous conduct by seagoing criminals during the war, a record which has been sup-| pressed by the coast guard byorder of political officers who j belonged to the Roosevelt eult.Even since the war the coastj guard has frustrated Investigators bent on reviewing the vicl- * ous record by demanding that the inquiring person name the vessel and the men concerned and state the time of the incident. This ruse had the sole purpose of protecting the unions, which were political proteges of the Roosevelt party.| “The emphasis for a strengthened merchant marine is usually on more ships, newer ships and faster ' ships, Crouch writes. “But ships require competent men in sufficient numbers. We can build the largest and finest merchant fleet ever to serve mankind but unless these ships are served by men who are reliable and disciplined, we place in jeopardy our maritime advantage. Our merchant marine must be such that it can stand alone if necessary from the begining of any attack—and win. To do this we must have a well-disciplined merchant marine.“From a recent review of disciplinary of cases it does not ap-AsumU **■ ttOWhave such a merchant marine. Insubordination, inattention to duty, intoxication, ineptitude, willful carelessness, subversion and other similar acts do exist “There are eases of assault with deadly weapons (maat cleaver, fire axe. broken bottles, etc.) with intent to kill; intentionally throwing crew members overboard, mental and physical incompetence resulting from narcotics addiction; setting fire to one’s own room; shooting of crew members during a drunken party; groaa negligence resulting in toss of lives of crew members; homosexuality; dangerous psychopathies, mutinous conduct, theft of mail and continuous refusal to obey lawful orders
Newspaper Details
Browning Leader Record
Browning, Missouri, US
Thu, Jan 27, 1949
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Joan J.
USA 13 May 2024
Other Publications Near Browning, Missouri
Browning Leader Record
