Seafarers Log: Vol. 19 No. 3 (1957-02-01)

Vol. XIX
No. I SEAFARERS EOG

• OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION • ATLANTIC AND GULF DISTRICT • AFL-CIO •

LUNDEBERG DIES
SlUNA Founder Stricken At 56

-Story On Page 3 S;



Page Two SEAFARERS LOG . February 1, 1957
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Increase In PHS Funds
WASHINGTON—Cheering news for .Seafarers ahd membere of aU mazitiine unions, is

contained in President Eisenhower's Public Health Service budget request. For the first time
in the past four years, the administration Is asking for an increase in appropriations for the
hospitals, over $5 million all-^"

Drug supplies, shown here being checked by an employee at
Staten sland USPHS hospital, and other equipment will be
replenished under new PHS budget. Requested appropria­
tions for USPHS program provide $5 million increase prima­
rily to build up supply lists in USPHS hospitals throughout
the country.

told.
The budget request for $44,-

399,000 as against $39,011,000 ap­
propriated last year means the end
of the Hobby-Hoover policy of
cutting the ground from under the
Public Health Service hospitals. It
also comes at a time when the hos­
pitals are desperately in need of
new equipment and added man­
power.

One of the Immediate benefits
of the new funds will be to build
up an inventory of badly-needed
medical supplies. Tbe hospitals
have been scraping along from
hand .to mouth on many items be­
cause they did not have funds for

SlU of NA Answers Curran
Smear In Letter To Meany

A formal reply to NMU President Joseph Curran's attack on the SlU and the International
Brotherhood of Longshoremen has been filed with the AFL-CIO executive council. In a
letter addressed to AFL-CIO President George Meany, SlU of NA vice-presidents Paul Hall
and Morris Weisberger, acting •
on behalf of the SlU of North
America, answered issues
raised by Curran at the time of the
last New York longshore election.

On that occasion, Curran issued
an open statement to the press in
the form of copies of a letter to
Meany assailing the SIU and the
JBL for seeking to win new repre­
sentation for longshoremen in New
York. In the course of the state­
ment he said of the SIU: "As you
know, NMU was built on the ashes
of a corrupt organization . . . The
SIU ... is what is left of an or­
ganization formed many years ago
for the purpose of destroying
NMU."

The SIU of NA answer declared
that "In taking issue with the Fed­
eration's considered position" (on
the longshore election) "Curran
publicly attacked the SIU with a
set of vicious lies and half-truths,
and in doing so presented his opin­
ions as a spokesman of the AFL-
CIO and a member of the Ethical
Practices Committee. We must

"therefore answer in the proper
forum."

Sacrificed Labor's Policies
The SIU statement declared fur­

ther: "The Curran record in the
trade union movement is shot
through with fickle opportunism;
with the sacrifice of labor's policies
for personal advancement; with
Immature, erratic shifts of position,
and with basic unreliability. The
record clearly indicates that on
more than one occasion Curran has
allied himself . . . with organiza­
tions directly dual and hostile to
the Federation and that he has suc­
ceeded in weakening and hamper­
ing the labor movement according­
ly."

In dealing with Curran's attack
on the SIU, the letter stated: "This
was purely and simply a cover-up
of Cun-aii s and the NMU's role in
the early days of maritime labor.
As you recall, the^SIU was formed
by a group of seamen who wanted
a democratic, non-Communist la­
bor organization and who could not
stomach the role of being captives
of the waterfront, section of the
Communist Party. The NMU, as
Curran himself hag admitted, was
a captive of this group for eleven

full years from 1936 to 1947. Yet
Curran now, for opportunistic rea-'
sons, attacks the SlU's formatloVi
and defends that sordid period of
NMU history.

"As late as 1945, after nine years'
.service to the party cause, Curran
could still say in public, 'We heart­
ily hail... the entke Soviet nation
for all they've achieved under the
great and wise leadership'of Com­
rade Stalin.' (Pilot, October 19,
1945). Yet Curran criticises the
SIU for opposing NMU in those
years!

CP Break Came Late
"It wasn't until 1947, a§ the re­

sult of various pressures, and un­
der competition from Harry
Bridges for a leading role in mari­
time, that Curran finally began his
break with the Communists. As late
as 1949 he was still ousting the party
machine from NMU office. As late
as December, 1955, after the mer­
ger, he was still complaining about
the threat of the Communists to
his organization. He evidently
found it difficult to dissolve the
marriage."

After reviewing the many in­
stances in which Curran, at differ­
ent times, has taken exactly oppos­
ing positions on the same issue, the
letter asks, "How . . . can anyone,
place any trust or confidence in
what Curran will say or do ... who
will Brother Curran stab in the
back next?"

Turning to Curran's role on the
waterfront, the letter pointed out
"he was no 'Johnny-come-lately' in
his support of ILA. Three and a
half years ago, when the entire
labor movement, including Walter
Reuther, then CIO president, stood
solidly behind you and the Execu­
tive Council in acting against ILA,
Curran equivocated.and took a dim
view of the AFL action. The AFL's
forthright action . . . was for him
an opportunity to advance his
strength on the docks. He did not
hesitate, covertly and openly, to
oppose the IBL and support ILA
throughout the first two elec­
tions ...

"In the subsequent two year pe­
riod, Curran went so far as to sup­
port and encourage a dual and
hostile operation aimed at raiding

and undermining the SIU of North
America. We speak of the United
International Seamen's Union,' an
abortive ILA-sponsored organiza­
tion ...

Gave Them Space In 'Pilot'

"The two ranking officers of this
so-calied seamen's union openly
boasted that their purpose was to
raid legitimate maritime unions
... When their intent was exposed,
Curran utilized the pages of his
official union newspaper to give
ILA, an expelled organization, an
opportunity to issue a blanket de­
nial . . ."

The letter cited a "third instance
of Curran's preference and support
for dual and hostile organizations"
in the American Coal beef. "Cur­
ran supported a local affiliate of
District 50, United Mine Workers
—which had no deep sea agree,
ments—against the contract claims
of the AFL-CIO affiliates, one of
them an organization which had a
20-year record of support for the
NMU..." '

Ridiculing Cun-an's pretensions
toward supporting "unity" in mari­
time, the letter recalled how Cur­
ran destroyed the Conference of
American Maritime Unions, when
"involved in an internal political
war. He decided-it was to his ad­
vantage, and did not hesitate to
denounce other members of
CAMU ...

"Is it any accident," the letter
asks, "that the only .effective unity
that ever existed on Curran's side
was his ten year loyalty to Harry
Bridges?"

Supporting a charge that Curran
has "run away from every situation
in which he could have utilized his
strength to further Federation pol­
icy and the policy of the CIO be­
fore the merger," the letter re­
called his behavior after Bridges
and the Comrauhist-dominated Na­
tional Union of Marine Cooks and
Stewards had been booted out of
the CIO.

The expulsion of Bridges and his
longshore union "left Curran as
the major spokesman for CIO in
maritime and the responsible offi­
cial to devise ways and means of

(Continued on page 15)

restocking. At the major Staten
Island facility much of the equip­
ment originally ilnstalled in 1935
when the place; was built is in
need of replacement. Additional
help in the laboratories and more
clerical help will be hired. The
funds will also serve to meet civil
service pay increases of recent
yearsi
'The Hol)by-lIoover program,

prc^duct of ex-president Herbert
Hoover's commission studies, and
Mrs. Oveta Culp Hobby, former
seciretarY of Health, Education and
W^elfare, oplled for the closing
down of all medical facilities for
seamen. Initially, in 1953, efforts
were made to reduce the number
of hospitals, closing down Fort
Stanton and Mobiie. Savannah
was similarly threatened but was
saved after widespread protests
by Seafarers -and maritime unions.

Met With Eisenhower
Later in the year the real intent

of the Hobby-Hoover program was
revealed when proposals for a com­
plete shutdown were advanced.
Once ag^in, strong protests by the
SIU, and in particular, a meeting
on the subject between SIU of NA
president Harry Lundeberg and
President Eisenhower, succeeded
in staving off the closings.

However, one result of the at­
tack on the hospitals was the par­
ing down of the budget appropria­
tions to rock-bottom levels with
the result that the hospitals were
caught in a squeeze betweeli rising
costs of operation and reduced ap­
propriations.

The new budget request repre­
sents a complete about-face by the
Department. It. recognizes the need
for the hospitals and discontinues
the meager diet of funds to which
the hospitals ha'd been subject.

In addition to serving seamen,
the PHS hospitals take care of
Coast Guardsmen and certain
civilian civil service employees.

The $44 million request also cov­
ers the operating costs of the Car-
ville Leprosarium, the narcotics
hospital in Lexington, Ky.; and the
mental hospital at Fort Worth,
Texas.

Seffle Dor/a
Crash Suits

The Italian . Line, operators of
the Andrea Doria, and the Swedish
American Line have agreed to a
settlement of suits resulting from
the collision of the Doria and the
Stockholm. Terms of the settle­
ment call for both companies to
drop their lawsuits against each
other.

A joint liability fund of $4,400,-
000 would "be set up to satisfy
claims of passengers and shippers
against the two concerns. Insur­
ance companies would add to the
fund bringing it over $6 million.
The total of such pending claims
amounts to nearly- $150 million.
The two companies would iapply in
the' courts for a limitation on their
financial liability.

If all claims are settled out-of-
court then there would never bcr a
court finding on "the" blame for the
collision.

However, the agreement on set­
ting UP a joint fund indicates that
the operators jointly accept blame
for the collision in accord with
the report that was filed by a com­
mittee of US marine experts with
the House Merchant Marine Com­
mittee. The report criticized^ both
sides for the handling of the'ships
before the collision.

Back Strong
US Shipping

In a dramatic about-face after
years of opposition, a spokesman
for the Norwegian shipping inter­
ests has come out in- favor of a
strong US merchant marine. "The
"Norwegian Shipping News," a
trade publication, declared it- wel­
comed a sizable active merchant
navy under the US flag to aid the
Western world in times of crisis.
The declaration is expected to help
knock the props out from under
opponents of "50-50" in the ciu>
rent session of Congress.

Norwegian shipping interests
and- the Norwegian government
have long been prominent among
opponents of "50-50" legislation
and other action designed to assist
US ship operators Apparently,
though, the Suez crisis has brought
home forcefully the need for
plenty of US shipping to keep
Western Europe from economic
collapse.

Only US Has $
"History has shown,"'th^g article

says, "that the Western Wiorld
needs a substantial reserve of ton­
nage to be activated in times of
crisis and only the United States
can afford to build and maintain
such a fleet.

"In order to keep a permanent
reserve fleet, a nation must have
a sizable activei merchant navy as
a_nucleus and trained and experi­
enced seamen and ship operators.

"On these grounds, we welcome
the new building programunder
way in American yards . ^ . A
continuation and extension of the
present program would ... be
beneficial to the whole Western
world."

SEAFAKERS LOG
p.b. I, 1957 Vo!. XIX No. 5

PAUL HALL. Secretary-Treasurer
HERBERT- BRAND. Editor. RAY DENISON.

Managing Editor, BERNARD SEAMAN. Art
Editor. HERMAN ARTHUR. IRWIN SPIVACX.
Staff Writers. BILL MOODY. Oulf Area
Representative.

Directory ..Page 10
Editorials -Page 11
,Final Di^atch Page 10
Letters Page 14
Personals, Notices .' Page 7
Recent Arrivals Page 6
Shipping Roundup Page 4
Your Dollar's Worth Page 7

Published biweekly at the headquarters
ef the Seafarers intcA-national Union, At­
lantic a'Gulf District, AFL-CiO> i7S Fourth
Avenue, Brooklyn 32, NY. Tel. HYacinth
*-4600. Entered as second class matter
at the Post Office in Brooklyn, NY, under
the Act of Aug. 24; 1912.

120 •



-Fehmur 1> 19ST SEAFARERS LOG Fire Thre*

SlU Mourns Lundeberg Loss
Death Ends Many Years
Of Militant Leadership

Cap or white "Lundeberg Stetson" became Sailor's garb.

SAN FRANCISCO—Harry Lundeberg, the founder of the Seafarers Interna­
tional Union and the leading figure in maritime for over two decades, died of a
heart attack in Peninsula Hospital on Monday, January 28. Death came to the
56-year-old president of the+
SIU of NA just a few days
before his expected dis­
charge from the hospital.
He had suffered a mild
heart seizure January 20.

His passing cut short a mili­
tant, crusading career on be­

half of American seamen
which reached back into the early
1930's. It was Lundeberg who led
the revival of maritime unions in
the United States, beginning with
the bitter and tumultuous 1934
maritime strike. From there he
pressed ahead reientlessly, battling
shipowners, the Government and

Lundeberg's Legacy:
A Flourishing Union

The successor to Andrew Furuseth as the secretary of the
Sailors Union of the Pacific in 1936, Harry Limdeberg con­
tinued in that post until his sudden death Monday. Between
these two men lies the history —

At strike meeting (I); SUP bq. groimd breaking (r).

'46 stop-work meeting in 'Frisco gets latest news.

of American maritime union­
ism.

Lundeberg's legacy is the Sea­
farers International Union of North
America, embracing 45 autono­
mous unions of marine crafts on-all
coasts,, the Great Lakes, Canada
and Alaska. He was its founder
and only president.

California labor know him as its
marine spokesman and as a vice-
president of its • powerful State
Federation of Labor from 1938 on.
He had also been president of the
AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Depart­
ment since June, 1955.

Quit Maritime Federation

Lundeberg was a rough and tum­
ble fighter who always spoke,
dressed and acted like a sailor.
In 1947, he blithely walked in on a
lawyers' convention in Santa Cruz,
Calif., where the late Sen. Robert
Taft was to make a speech. He
left that meeting with a concession
on the hiring hall from the co­
author of the Taft-Hartley Law
which enabled all maritime unions
to stay in business and prosper.

Like Furuseth, Lundeberg was
born in Norway, on March 25, 1901,
the son of Allette and Gunnar
Lundeberg of Oslo. His father and
three of his brothers had been sea­
men, and he first went to sea at
ten.

During the first World War, hel

shipped out of England on the ni­
troglycerine boats and had ships
torpedoed under him a couple of
times. He saiied under nine dif-
feient fiags before settling in the
US in 1919.

He joined the SUP on a transfer
from the Australian Seamen's Un­
ion and made Seattle his home. A
dynamic organizer, he became
Seattle agent for the SUP in 1934,
a year after he gained US citizen­
ship. The SUP then was a part
of the old International Seamen's
Union, which had never recovered
from the 1921 strike fiasco.

A new union-smashing assault
was launched by shipowners that
year, and Lundeberg came to the
forefront of the sailors' movement.
Out of the bitter, bloody '34 strike
emerged the Maritime Federation
of the Pacific, a brief alliance be­
tween Lundeberg and longshore
leader Harry Bridges.

Quit M'time Federation
But Lundeberg quit the presi­

dency of the Maritime Federation
when he became SUP secretary in
1936. The short-lived excursion
convinced him the Communists
were maneuvering to gain control
of the unions solely for political
purposes.

After the '36 strike that fall, the
West Coast unions gained a wage
increase and recognition of the hir-

(Continued on page 15)

the maritime section of the Com­
munist Party on behalf of the men
he represented.

Word of his death visibly affect­
ed many oldtimers at the SUP hall
here, and drew tribute from lead­
ing figures in maritime and Gov­
ernment. California's Governor
Goodwin J. Knight, Secretary of
Labor James P. Mitchell, San
Francisco's Mayor Christopher and
key shipping leaders paid high
tribute to his courage.

Mitchell described Lundeberg as
a man "who devoted a lifetime to
improving conditions for seamen,
and was a great American- and a
fine labor official. His wisdom and
courage will be greatly missed."

J. Paul St. Sure, president of
the Pacific Maritime Association;
Randolph Sevier, head of Matson
Navigation: George Killion, presi­
dent of American President Lines,
and Roger D. Lapham, former head
of the American-Hawaiian Steam­
ship Company, with all of whom
Lundeberg battled without quarter
to win economic gains for his mem­
bership, acknowledged his honesty
in negotiations.

Kept His Word
"Whenever Harry Lundeberg

gave his word, he kept it to the
letter," Killion said. "Through
many collective bargaining crises
I have never had need for a writ­
ten document to support a com­
mitment by Mr. Lundeberg on be­
half of his saUors."

Lapham's message echoed these
sentiments; "If you made a deal
with him, you knew he would live
up to it. Once you came to an un­
derstanding with him, he went to
bat with his own people to see
that it was carried out to the
letter."

"His personal leadership was
largely responsible for the strong
position of the SUP and SIU in na­
tional maritime union affairs," St.
Sure noted.

Paying tribute to Limdeberg on
behalf of the SIU-A&G District,
Secretary - Treasurer Paul Hall
characterized his contribution to
maritime unionism in these words:

"Andrew Furuseth's great con­
tribution to seamen was the 1915

(Continued on page 15)

Lundeberg rose to fame as leader of seamen during better and bloody 1934 strike of
Seamen and longshoremen on West Coast. Strike paved the way for revival of mari­
time unions and birth of SIU of North America.

"There was a time when he alone stood between the na­
tion and the Soviet power in American waters." Here
Sailors fight to defend picket line against CP raid.



Pase Four SEAFARERS LOG Febrnary'l*

Chilean Unionists Visit SlU

Members of trade unions in Chile listen intently as interpre­
ter (with arm outstretched) explains SlU operations during
group's visit to SlU headquarters. Sitting behind interpreter
is representative of US State Department under auspices of
whicn group is studying trade union methods in this country.
At right of interpreter is SEAFARERS LOG staff member who
conducted tour of headquarters facilities.

Texas Court Spins
'Vfreck' Law Around

AUSTIN, Texas—Backers of state "right to work" laws
have been set back on their heels here by a state court ruling
which has completely reversed the. application of the law.
The Texas Supreme Court has •
ruled that the state's "right to
work" law means a worker
cannot be fired on account of mem­
bership in a union.

The "wreck" laws now on the
books in 17 states provide that no
worker can lose his job because of
non-membership or membership
In a union. Normally this has
been interpreted to mean that un­
ions could not sign any kind of
union shop or maintenance of
membership contract which re­
quires a worker to be a union
member to hold his job under the
contract.

Now the Texas court maintains,
the law also means a union mem­
ber must be protected by the State.

Fired for Organizing
The case arose when the Bryan,

Texas, fire department fired Don
Lunsford for organizing a Fire
Fighters local. Texas unionists de­
cided to go to court on the firing
on the basis of the stale "right to
W'Ork" legislation.

The Texas Supreme Court said
that the state legislature intended
to protect "the right of member-

SCHEDULE OF
SlU MEETINGS

SlU membership meet­
ings are held regularly
every two weeks on Wed­
nesday nights at 7 PM in
all SlU ports. All Sea­
farers are expected to
attend; those who wish to
be excused should request
permission by telegram
(be sure to include reg­
istration number). The
next SlU meetings will be:

February 6

February 20

March 6
March 20
Aprif 3 '

ship in a union as well as the right
of non-membership."

"The intent seems obvious to
protect employees in the exercise
of free choice of joining or not
joining a union. The purpose of
the statute is to afford equal op­
portunity to work to both classes
of employees."

A pension plan for tankermen is
the first order of business with the
Sailors Union of the Pacific. The
union is out to get a pension ar­
rangement from Standard Oil, Un­
ion Oil and other West Coast tank­
er outfits comparable to that of the
Pacific Maritime A.ssociation pen­
sion agreement.

i . 4" 4"
Agreement has been reached be­

tween the Marine Cooks and Stew­
ards and its contracted employers
to set up a seniority arrangement.
The seniority system is designed
to reduce the number of casuals
and one-trippers on West Coast
ships, reserving employment for
professional seamen. Thirty-one
days or more employment since
June 24, 1955 and payment of dues
and initiation fees to the union are
two of the requirements for senior­
ity.

4 4 4"
A new wrinkle in welfare bene­

fits, severance pay, is being sought
by the Staff Officers Association.
The Union has asked that the trus­
tees of the welfare plan provide
severance pay benefits to any
member of the union who had been
in the industry a minimum num­
ber of years. The is-sue is now
going to arbitration for a decision.

4 4 4
Unemployment insurance amend­

ments in Ohio are the first order of
business for the Great Lakes Dis­
trict, SIU. Under existing law, sea­
men are eligible for unemployment
insurance dining a 40-week period,
but are barred during a specific
twelve weeks when Lakes boats
are usually laid up.

January 9 Through January 22

Port

Boston-
New York
Philadelphia ..........
Baltimore ^....
Noi-folk
Savannah '. 1.
Tampa ................
Mobile ....
New Orleans
Lake Charles
Houston ....
Wilmington .
San Francisco
Seattle

• • •
• • •
• « •
• • •
• • »
• • •

• • t • I

• • • • 4

• t » • •

• • • • 4
• • • • «
• • •• «

I 0 • • • • • 4

Total ...... .. 351

Port Oock Dock Deck
. Shipped

Cno. Ens. Eng. stew. stew. stew. Tetel Total Total
A e C A. • C A B. , v • c. . - A B. c-

Boston . 8 8 1 7 2 5 6 1 4 21 11 10
New York . . . .......... T03 10 ' 9 82 13 20 71 12 256 32 41

1 0 14 6 2 10 2 2 49 9 4
Baltimore ... 9 10 15 . 9 r SI 26 9 11 87r J?7 42
Norfolk ..... 13 3 10 13 4 >8 7 5 34 . 33 12
Savannah ...' 2 8 6 1 6 7 4 3 19 7 17
Tampa .'.,.. 3 0 5 2 0 11 2 4 24 7 4
Mobile ...... 4 0 7 - 4 1 14 0 1 32 -8 2
New Orleans 4 2 32 10 S 45 4 2 122 18 7
Lake Charles 1 1 9 9 2 4 2 1 25 12 4
Houston .... 8 2 16 9 3 . 12 5 5 50 22 10
Wilmington '. 12 3 1 4 5 4 7 3 4 23 11 9
San Francisco 8 9 19 12 11 18 6 4 60 26 24
Seattle ..... 13 19 17 13 17 13 6 20 46 32 56

Deck Deck Deck Eng. Eng. Eng. stew. stew. Stew. Totol Total Total.
A B c A • B c A B ' c A B C

Total ... 353 87 65 243 108 99 252 60 78 848 255 242

Total
Ship.

41
329
62

156
. 79

-43
35
42

147
41i

. 82
43

110
134

Total
Ship.

1,345

SIU job activity increased agaiq over the past two weeks, and was up to a total of 1,345
men shipped. Registration lagged at 1,160.

The overall picture indicates that shipping will rise again in coming weeks, due to addi­
tional ship breakouts for the-* ^
coal trade.

Six ports matched the in­
crease lor the period, including
Boston, New York, Norfolk, Tampa,
Wilmington and Seattle. Declines
were listed in Philadelphia, Balti­
more, New Orleans, Lake Charles,
Houston and San Francisco. In
addition. Savannah and Mobile
continued the same pace as before.

Shipping Catches Up
Class A shipping finally caught

up with the A registration. Class
A men also filled the largest pro­
portion of the total jobs in the 11
months since mid-February, 1956.
Class A men shipped 63 percent
of the jobs, while class B filled 19
percent aiid class C the remainder.
The class A lob percentage was
seven percent over two weeks ago
and 15 percent above what it was
one month ago when it hit a low
of 48 percent

The following is the forecast port
by port:
Boston: Fair . . . New York: Good
. . . Philadelphia: Good . • . Balti­
more: Good . . . Norfolk: Good
... Savannah: Fair.,. Tampa: Fair
. . . Mobile: Fair . . . New Orleans:
Should improve . . . Lake Charles:
Good . . . Houston: Good . . Wil-
minerton: Fair . . . San Francisco:
Good ... Seattle: Good; needs deck
and engine department ratings.

Book Lays PQ-17 Loss
To British Navy Head

One of the most dramatic and tragic battles in which Sea­
farers were involved during World War II is being fought all
over again—but this time with books instead of bullets.

The incident is the virtual"*"
destruction—in July, 1942—of
Convoy PQ-17, the first con­
voy to Russia containing American
ships under British command. A
British historian has blamed top
British naval leaders for the dis­
aster.

Seafarers Manned Ships

Seafarers and SUP members
have a very personal interest in
this convoy—better known to them
as the "Fourth of July" convoy—
because they manned most of the
20 American freighters in the 33-
ship fleet which left Iceland- on
June 27, 1942, ^vith 188,000 tons of
cargo for Russia.

Protecting the convoy, when it
sailed from Reykjavik, was a task
force of destroyers, sloops, cor­
vettes, "ack-ack" ships, armed
trawlers, rescue vessels and British
subs. Covering the convoy's flank,
about 100 miles to the east, was
anofher protective fleet consisting

^ B AI='<A

PORTCCAI.l.

*1216 E.6ALTiM3IS
8«CC^D^AI ©ALT7M£»ee

of aircraft carriers, battleships,
cruisers and destroyers.

It soon became apparent that the
Nazis had no .intention of letting
the convoy reach its destination.
Despite the^heavy protection, Nazi
bomber and torpedo planes broke
through a rain of bullets and by
July 4 they had sunk three freight­
ers including the Calmar Liberty
ship Christopher Newport.

Only 11 Shipd Survived
Nevertheless, on the evening of

July 4 the convoy commander, act­
ing on orders fjom London, or­
dered the merchantmen to scatter
and proceed on their own. By July
7, PQ had lost 18 freighters with
100,000 tons of cargo, and even­
tually only 11 ships reached Arch­
angel.

Now the issue has been reopened
with the publication in London of
a new book which holds the Brit­
ish Admiralty responsible for th®^
debacle.

In his book, "The War at Sea,"
Captain S. W. Roskill blames Ad­
miral of the Fleet Sir Dudley
Pound for the tragedy which, he
says, "in the light of pi-esent knowl­
edge could easily have been
avoided."

Captain Roskill says^ that the
Admiralty had a tendency to direct
operations at sea from Whitehall.
He claims that if the scatter order
had been sent to the convoy's com­
manding officer for action as he
saw fit, "the convoy and escort
would have been kept together."
i What's more. Captain Roskill "
takes a swipe at Sir Winston
Churchill for writing in his history
of the war that he knew nothing
,about the Admiralty's order until
after the war was over. The Prime
Minister, says th®. captain, sho^s
A "lapse of memory." •



FeVtiUU^ 1. 19fT iEAFAREnS LOG

Storm DaiAages TranMtlantIo

photo taken by crewman Aysoni and sent in by bosun Bilyk,
shows some of storm damage done to Transatlantic enroute
from Singapore to Japan. Storm, believed caused by Ty­
phoon Polly, caused injury to chief mate and endang.ered
.crew for 15 dayi.

NY Mulls Plan To Peg
Jobless $ To Pay Scale

A novel approach to unemployment insurance in which the
benefits would be pegged to the rise in earning powers is be­
ing considered by New York State.^ The program would prob­
ably include an increase in the ;
present level of unemploy­
ment benefits as well.

The proposal would provide that
the unemployment insurance bene­
fit be pegged at half of the,average
weekly wage of production work-

Icy Blasts
Don't Slow
NY Shipping

NEW YORK—Even with the
good shipping, this port has been
a good place for polar bears during
the past two weeks. Temperatures
ranged from zero up to 20 degrees,
with plenty of ice and snow.

There has been so much ice in
the Hudson River, according to
Assistant Secretary - Treasurer
Claude Simmons, that some of the
•hips have been taking as much as
three hours to breast into a dock
and tie up.

But in spite of the weather, the
port was busy.with a total of 36
ships that arrived for payoff, sign-
on and in transit. Among the pay­
offs was the tanker Big Bend (Mar-
trade) which was laid up and trans­
ferred foreign. In addition. Bloom-
field's Genevieve Peterkin, which
stopped off here in transit, got a
new name. She is now the Alice
Birown, replacing the former Alice
Brown which was sold to another
company some tiipe ago. Bloom-
field also operates the Mary Adams,
Neva West and Margaret Brown,
all of which are supposed to be
swapped for States Marine C-2s
sometime after June. She already
has one C-2, the Lucille Bloomfield.

ers. This would work out to about
$40.00 a week at present levels, but
would go up as wage levels rise.
Since most SIU shipping compa­
nies have their headquarters here,
the change would be of consider­
able benefit particularly to -Sea­
farers in the class B and C senior­
ity brackets. These men are eligi­
ble for unemployni^nt payments
under application of the 60-day
contract clause.

At present, the State's unem­
ployment benefits are -at a $36 a
week ceiling.. Any change in the
dollars and cents level has to be
voted by the legislature, "making it
very difficult to "adjust benefits
promptly to meet rising costs and
earnings.

In additionj the legislature will
be asked to vote an increase in
disability pay and a contribution
of up to $150 for hospital expenses
of families living in the state.
Chances for adoption of the" latter
two proposals are not .considered
favorable.

ILA Bids For AFL-CIO
Truce, Promises Reform

Although it was the yvinner in three successive New York dock elections, the International
Longshoremen's Association has asked that It be allowed to surrender to the AFL-CIO. In
a statement released by ILA President William Bradley last week, the ILA promised it
would adhere to a ten-point-•—
program of reforms as a basis
for proving it is worthy of re­
entering the Federation.

The Bradley statement acknow­
ledged that the AFL-CIO has been
Justified In its position towards
ILA and agreed that the ILA was
finding It impossible %> continue
indefinitely outside the ranks of
organized labor. "The Interna­
tional Longshoremen's Associa­
tion," It said,. "realizes more pro­
foundly than ever before, the need
to gain readmission to the organiz­
ed labor movement."

The dramatic announcement by
the ILA came after a series of
meetings initiated by that organi­
zation with representatives of the
IBL and the SIU. Prior to the
last New York waterfront election,
ILA, in similar meetings, had re­
fused to abide by demands that
It live up to the AFL:CIO's clean­
up mandate. ILA won the election
convincingly enough. But the fact
that IBL got 7,500 votes and per­
sisted in its campaign, with the
support of the SIU, was enough
to convince ILA leaders that a new
course was needed if they were
ever to end Federation opposition
to them.

Must Satisfy AFL-CIO
At the meetings, the ILA asked

what it had to do to win a truce
and was told that the only course
open was to satisfy the Federation
that it had followed the AFL man­
date of 1953.

As the ILA itself acknowledged
in its statement, "the AFL-CIO
marine union representatives stat­
ed that the conversations and dis­
cussions in no wise are to be
construed as a commitment . . .
and that in the final analysis, the
determination of the fitness of an
organization to wear the AFL-CIO
label was up to AFL-CIO president
George Meany, as executor of
Federation policy, the Executive
Council and the Federation itself."

Of interest to Seafarers in the
ILA's statement is its plea that the
IBL ask the SIU to "cease such
of its activities as have in the past
been directed against the Interna­
tional Longshoremen's Associa­
tion." The ILA also pledged
support of the Maritime Trades
Department and, in the event of
its return ̂ to the Federation, asked
for admission to that Depai'tment.

Action on these matters, of

course, awaits further proof of the
ILA's ability to carry out its inten­
tions.

The ten-point program put forth
by ILA is as follows:
• Adherance to the principles of

the AFL-CIO constitution and pro­
tection and advancement of work-

The following statement was
issued jointly by the SIU and
the International Brotherhood
of Longshoremen:

"The ILA statement proves
the correctness of the AFL-CIO
position with respect to the
waterfront situation. The ILA
must now show that actions
speak louder than words. We
are certain that at the proper
time the Federation (AFL-CIO)
will make judgment on that
basis.

"The International Brother­
hood of Longshoremen and the
Seafarers International Union,
Atlantic and Gulf District, were
—and still are—concerned with

" 1)' Protecting the longshore
worker at the dock level,

" 2) Protecting the ~ IBL and
its interests,

"3) Uph"blding the position
of. the AFL-CIO.

"Meanwhile, the status is un­
changed. The"" IBL will continue
its publication, the Waterfront
News, and will continue to act
in protection of the interests
and welfare of longshore work­
ers.

"The Bradley statement ac­
curately descx-ibes the conver­
sations and their results."

ing conditions- and welfare of
longshore workers. ,

• Establishment of internal
union democracy.
• Equal treatment of all bona-

fide longshore workers, including
those who support the IBL.

• Full recognition of the IBL
and its existing agreements.

• Opposition to any efforts by
the Communist Party or Harry
Bridges to extend their influence
on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

• Establishment of recognized
auditing and accounting proce­
dures in all its affiliates.
• No discrimination in employ­

ment ai^ainst men who have sup­
ported the IBL or still support it.

Frozen Out More Ways Than One

Unidentified deck gang members aboard tapker Big Bend are shown chipping ice off rigging
while ship was in Portland, Maine. Crewmembers themselves were frozen out of jobs when
ship subsequently transferred to runaway flag. (Photo.courtesy Portland Press Herald}.

Speak Out At
SIU Meetings

Under the Union constitution
every member attending a Un­
ion meeting is entitled to
nominate himself for the elected
posts to be filled at the meeting
—chairman, reading clerk and
recording secretary. Your Un­
ion urges you to take an active
part in meetings by taking these
posts of service.

And, of course, all members
have the right to take the floor
and express their opinions on
any officer's report or issue un­
der discussion. Seafarers are
urged to hit the deck at these
meetings and let their ship­
mates know what's on their
minds.

5?

An MTD committee is invited t«
represent any dock worker who
feels he Is being discriminated
against.
. • Support of the AFL-CIO's and
the MTD's organizing, legislatlvo
and economic program with a view
toward eventually gaining mem­
bership in the MTD.

• Support of efforts to reduce
strife and bitterness on the water­
front.
• Authorization for the presi­

dent of the MTD to appoint a
three-man supervisory body, in­
cluding himself, to see that the
program is carried out.

The largest non-union millinery
shop in Massachuettts, the Paul
Hat Co. of Worcester, has been'
signed to a contract by the United
Hatters, Cap and Millinery Work­
ers. About 150 workers are covered
by the one j'ear eontract which
provides wage and welfare gains.

4" i i
After being on strike for eight

months in the company's Winches­
ter, 'Va., plant, .members of the
United Rubber Workers Union
have called for a nationwide boy­
cott against the O'Sullivan Rubber
Corporation. Unions and their
members are urged not to handle
or purehase O'Sullivan heels, soles
and plastic products. The company,
whicj^ advertises its product as
the country's "No. 1 heel," pays 40
to 50 cents hourly below organized
plants.

S" 4" 4"
Ringling Brothers will be back

on the road this spring after sign­
ing a union agreement with. the
Amei'ican Guild of Variety Artists
for about 300 circus entertainers.
The agreement ended a year-long
dispute between the circus, AGVA
and the Teamsters Union. Seafar­
ers in several cities aided AGVA
during its picketing of the circus
last year.

4 4. 4;
The Canadian Pacific railroad is

running again following the end of
a nine-day strike by 3,000 locomo­
tive firemen. The strikers were
protesting layoff of firemen on
diesel-powered trains. An agree­
ment to arbitrate the dispute re­
sulted in a return to work.



f-'-'

Faro SI* SEAFARERS LOG
\

February 1. 1987

Tramp Subsidy Plan Due
For Airing In Congre^

WASHINGTON—Proposals to offer operating subsidies
to tramp ships will get a thorough airing at this session of
Congress. Representative James Byrne (Dem.-Pa.) has rein­
troduced a bill to that effect
which would subsidize both
dry cargo and tankships in the
tramp trades.

The Byrne bill was first offered
late in last year's session when it
admittedly did not have much
chance of passage. This time the
bill is expected to get full consid­
eration in light of plans of both
Senate and House maritime com­
mittees to study an overhaul of
the 1936 Merchant Ivlarine Act.

All o/ the following SIU families
will collect the $200 maternity
benefit plus a $25 bond from the
Union in the baby's name:

Alexander Guss Janavaris, born
December 26, 1956, to Seafarer and
Mrs. GuSs A. Janavaris, Astoria,
NY.

4* 4"
Jo Ann Caruso, born December

20, 1956, to Seafarer and Mrs.
Giuseppe Caruso, New Orleans, La.

4" 4" 4"
Daryl Leif Libby, born Decem­

ber 28, 1956, to Seafarer and Mrs.
Herbert Libby, Lincolnville, Me.

4» 4" 4
Arlene Frances Perkins, born

November 6, 1956, to Seafarer and
Mrs. Woodrow W. Perkins, New
Orleans, La.

4" 4« 4
Richard Anthony Nauman, born

December 21, 1956, to Seafarer
and Mrs. Allan Richard Nauman,
Baltimore, Md.

4 4 4
Michelle Ann Labenz, born De­

cember 21, 1956, to Seafarer and
Mis. James Labenz, Glenolden, Pa.

4 4 4
Billy Ann Bennett, born June 3,

1956, to Seafarer and Mrs. Charles
B. Bennett, Kenner, La.

4 44
Annie Patricia Thompson, born

November 5, 1956, to Seafarer and
Mrs. Alfred D. Thompson, Floma-
ton, Ala.

4 •i« 4
Thomas J. Hilburn, Jr. born Jan­

uary 9, 1957, to Seafarer and Mrs.
Thomas J. Hilburn, Fairhope, Ala.

4 4 4
Karen Lucille Hao, born January

3, 1957, to Seafarer and Mrs. Ed­
ward Hao, Brooklyn, NY.

4 4 4
Dawn Patricia Patin, born No­

vember 6, 1956, to Seafarer and
Mrs. Luther J. Patin, New Orleans,
La.

4 4 4
Valerie Jean Spenee, born De­

cember 18, 1956, to Seafarer and
Mrs. Leonard C. Spence, Brook­
lyn, NY.

4 4 4
Nick Sebastian Singh, born De­

cember 18, 1956, to Seafarer and
Mrs. Kenneth S. Singh, Philadel­
phia, Pa.

4 4 4
Lawrence Aubrey Price, Jr.,

born December 24, 1956, to Sea­
farer and Mrs. Lawrence A. Price,
Baltimore, Md.

4 4 4
Theresa Louise Cutrer, born De­

cember 16, 1956, to Seafarer and
Mrs. George S. Cutrer, Mobile, Ala.

4 4 4
David Guy Horton III, born Au­

gust 7,- 1956,. t.o .Seafarer and Mrs.
D^vid G. Horton, Mobile, Ala.

j..

Such plans have the support of the
SIU which has long held that US
operators should be assisted across-
the-board instead of limiting bene­
fits to a select few.

The bill would give a tramp or
contract operator an operating sub­
sidy whenever he competes with a
foreign flag bidder for available
bulk cargoes.- The subsidy would
run for the duration of a contract­
ed voyage or time-chartered series
of voyages. If foreign bidders did
not compete for the business, no
subsidy would be paid.

Subsidies would be based on es­
timates of fair and reasonable costs
of the lowest-priced foreign com
petitor. For practical purposes
this means that US tramps would
receive the difference between the
cost of operating a runaway flag
ship and US-flag costs.

The subsidies would cover the
same expense items as , are now
subsidized in the liner trades, in­
cluding insurance, maintenance, re­
pairs, wages and subsistence.

One of the major features of the
bill calls for the subsidies to be.
paid,only to those operators who
arrange to replace their existing
ships. This feature ^would serve
to upgrade the existing tramp fleet
which consists very largely of Lib-
ertys with only a handful of more
modern, faster vessels.

Baito Has
Few Beefs,
Many Jobs

BALTIMORE — Shipping has
slowed up here but was still at a
comfortable level above the 150-
job mark during the past two
weeks.

All the ships in port have been
in good condition, with few beefs
to speak of, according to Port
Agent Earl Sheppard. One item
held over for clarification con­
cerned a carpenter on a Calmar
ship who was required to renew
the shackles on the ship's running
gear. All other beefs were easily
handled.

A total of 11 payoffs, 12 sign-ons
and 17 in-transits were listed for
the period. Among the sign-ons
was the Andros Legend, the for­
mer Ocean Nora (Ocean Trans),
sold to Colonial Steamship. Colo­
nial now has two Libe'rtys, the
Charles Dunaif and Andros Leg­
end; two T-2 tankers, the Seatiger
and Ivy, and the supertankers
Orion Clipper and Orion Planet.

Aside from the sale. Ocean
Transportation also disposed of
two other Libertys recently, by
transferring them to foreign-flag
operation. These were the Ocean
Rose and Ocean Nimet. The com­
pany still has one Liberty, the
Ocean Ulla; a C-4, the Ocean Eve­
lyn, and four C-2s, the Ocean Deb­
orah, Ocean Dinny, Ocean Eva and
Ocean Joyce.

In other developments, the up­
per portions of Chesapeake Bay
have been frozen over during the
spell of extreme cold weather that
hit the Atlantic coast in mid-Jan­
uary. Even Coast Guard cutters
found the. going rough as they
went to the rescue of icebound mo­
tor' tankers .an4 barge, tows.

V,
•' 1

• '• f; .... :

Don't Leff Thiil
Happen To You!

Safety on the Job should be the concern of every worker.
But more so t^an In any shoreside oeeupatlon. It should be
the Brst concern of men who make their living on the sea.
For conditions on a ship are far different from those ashore.

Shipboard facilities usuaily cannot provide comprehen­
sive treatment for injured Seafarers, end certainly are not
on a par with thfise which can be found ashore. Often the
best hat can be done for an injured man is to give him first
aid. Sometimes hazardous transfers to other ships are re­
quired, and hospital facilities in foreign ports are often not
comparable to those Stateside.

Thus any accident which happens aboard a ship, even a
minor one, is magnified by the nature of seafaring. This
makes safety all the more Important for Seafarers,
Think safe. Play it safe.

1

's'l C ii'

r.y ^ ^ '7.^ •.••.feV'.- .-V \i:r*



Fcbrnary 1; 1957 SEAFARERS LOG « '-'k Page Sereu

YOUR DOLLAR'S WORTH
; Seafarer's Guide To Better Buying

By Sidney Margolius

How To Conserve On Fuel
The worst shock to naoderate-income families in this year of rising

pricies is the stiff increase on fuel 6il just announced by major sup>
pliers. The rise of 0 cent a gallon in most parts of the country is the
aec(;ind boost this heating season. The two increases have raised fuel
oil from last winter's 14.9 cents a gallon in a typical coastal area, to
16.4 cents (more in some inland areas). This is a rise of ten per cent
just this year."

As a result of steady increases each year, fuel oil's tag has jumped
30 per cent in five years. Thus, many moderate-income families will

have a heating bill of $300 or more
in the colder parts of the country,
and find themselves paying $50 a
month and more to keep their
houses warm in mid-winter.

• The price boost is attributed by
the oil companies to the depiand
abroad caused by the blocking of
shipments through the. Suez Canal.
Humble Oil Co., a Standard Oil of
New Jersey subsidiary, started the
price-Jacking, arid was followed
immediately by other producers
and suppliers. Not only did all
raise the price simultaneously, but
by the exact amount.

This circumstance has aroused
the interest of a number of Con­
gressmen and Government agen­
cies, despite the power and influ­
ence of the pdtroleum industry
which gets notorious tax.»..conces-
sions from Congress. Even retail
oil dealers have been shocked by

the severity and boldness of the increase and one dealers' association
has asked Congress to investigate it.

Unless Congress acts to force back the price hike, moderate-income
families had better take all possible steps to keep the lid on their use
of fuel oil. It is unfortuiiate but true that moderate-cost houses are
often costlier to heat than better-built ones which are more thoroughly
insulated and have more adequate radiation (larger and better-quality
radiators). - _

The largest single fuel-waster in oil furnaces, "technicians tell this
writer, is the tendency of many families to skip some of the desirable
annual cleanings to save the $12-$15 cost. The value of the cleaning
is not only .to keep the heating-plant components in good coniiition
but to keep down your use of oil. •

Clean Out Carbon
As carbon galherl on the walls and flue passages of the boiler or

furnace, it acts as ihsulation. Thus, instead of the heat being absorbed
by the metal, it goes up the flue. You can still have the furnace cleaned
on a relatively mild day when you may be able to do without heat for
a couple of hours.

Also have your serviceman check the carbon dioxide content of the
flue gas, the draft Intensity over the fire and in the smoke pipe, and the
stack temperature. The. higher the carbon dioxide content, the more
complete the combustion. But the serviceman must take a reading
with a gauge to determine this. -'

Be warned against a new gimmick oil distributors have of selling
various types of additives at an unwarranted extra cost. Some now
sell a special "Tank Anti-Rust" solution which has an exaggerated "list
price" of $3 for a four-ounce can. It actually costs the dealers 18 cents
a can.

The Housing & Home Finance Agency also points out that the cus­
tomary temperature of nearly 75 degrees average in many homes is
unnecessarily" high. Maintaining a household average temperature of
68 degrees would save about ten per cent of the fuel consumed.

Cut Heat At Night
Some fuel saving also can be achieved by shutting down the heat

• supply at night to lower household temperature about ten degrees.
The shutdown should be made some time before retiring, else the
hoiise remains hot during part of the sleeping hours, and doesn't pick
up sufficiently early in the morning.

Whether you burn coal or oil, it's important that the external sur­
faces of boilers and hot-air furnaces, and also the hot-air and hot-water
pipes leading from the heating plant, and all return pipes leading to
the boiler, be covered with insulator material.

An investment in insulation even now will save oil or coal the rest
of this winter and the winters to come. Fortunately, both storm win­
dows and insulating materials have come down in price recently. The
most important and often the easiest place to insulate is the ceiling
over the heated part of the house. Engineers now say six inches of
insulation should be used in the attic floor, or if the attic is used for
Lving space, over its ceiling.

The average house loses 25 per cent through its windows. Competi­
tion has cut prices of storm windows somewhat, and these can be in­
stalled on a relatively mild day.

But be warned! Bait sellers aye still advertising windows at low
prices and trading buyers up to overpriced ones.

Storm Window Prices
A top-quality three-channel aluminum storm window should cost no

more than $20-$25, including installation. A good-quality two-channel
type should cost no more than |18-$20, installed, and at the barest
minimum, $14-$16.

The easiest and least-expensive way to cut heat loss Immediately Is
by adequate weather-stripping and caulking. The average house loses
24 per cent of Its heat through air infiltration.

Morse Halts Ships To American Coal
WASHINGTON—^Picket line action by engineers, mates and Seafarers has won a major

victory over the strikeboimd American Coal Company. Maritime Administrator Clarence
Morse announced that the Government would not release any more ships to American Coal
Shipping untl it straightened.j

"li

out its labor problems.
Morse based his order on the

ground that the labor dispute has
effectively prevented the use pf
the ships for the purposes for
which "they were chartered. Be­
fore the order was issued, six ships
had been broken out for the com­
pany but most of them are effec­
tively tied up at various repair
yards up'and down the coast.

American Coal was supposed to
get 30 ships under the original
award. It had another ship which
it purchased privately. The com­
pany's ̂ id for 50 more Govern­
ment charters apparently has been
placed in the deep freeze for the
time being.

While tlie strike-bound com­
pany's ships are being held up,
breakouts are continuing on coal
ships for other operators. An ad­
ditional two ships have been allo­
cated to Waterman Steamship
Company, making four in all, and
three more ships—two coal ships
and one for grain, for a total of
five—to the Bull Steamship Com­
pany. Other SIU contracted opera­
tors are also in line for tonnage
as the breakouts continue.

Five Allocated
The five ships allocated to Bull

are the James Bowdoin, John C.
Kendall, Grenville Dodge, Joseph
A. BrovMi and Jesse Applegate.
The company already has four of
its own Libertys, the Angelina,
Arlyn, Carolyn and Dorothy, on
the coal run.

No change has been reported in
the status of the six Government-
owned ships being broken out for
American Coal. The Thomas Paine
is still shut down although it has
been moved" from Red Hook to
Greenpoint. The Casimir Pu-

Stewpot IS useful ingredient of any successful picketline.
This one's functioning near Brooklyn pier where Seafarers,
mates end engineers have tied up Thomas Paine.

laski is being worked at Maryland
Drydock, Baltimore, behind the
picket line. Four other ships, two
in Xlharleston, SC, and two in Sa­
vannah, are also high and dry as
a result of the picket lines.

Participating in the coastviise
picketing are members of the Mas­
ters, Mates and Pilots; Marine En­
gineers Beneficial Association, sup­
ported by the Brotherhood of Mar­
ine Engineers, and the SIU.

SF Expects
Slack After
Heavy Run

SAN FRANCISCO—Shipping is
still holding up well, and should be
fair for the next two weeks. There
are no payoffs scheduled so far, but
there should be a bunch of in-
transit ships to take up the slack.

Four payoffs came around dur­
ing the last period, the Ocean Deb­
orah (Ocean Trans), Steel Fabrica­
tor (Isthmian), Jean LaFitte iWa-
terman) and Northwestern Victory
(Victory Carriers). The Deborah
and Jean Lafitte signed on again,
along with the Maiden Creek (Wa­
terman).

The in-transits included the
Hastings (Waterman), Steel Ven­
dor (Isthmian), Lewis Emery Jr.
and Longview' Victory (Victory
Carriers), and the Deborah again.
Port Agent Leon Johnson reported.

Johnson, who had been serving
as acting agent, has resumed the
duties of port patrolman, follow­
ing the election of Marty Breithoff
as San Francisco port agent. Briet-
hoff previously had been serving
as SIU West Coast representative.
The last election was the first time
that the San Francisco agent's
post had been on the ballot.

tmm AND NOTICES

Shorthanded?
If a crewmember quits while

a ship is in port, delegates
are asked to contact the hall
immediately for a replace­
ment. Fast action on their part
will keep all jobs aboard ship
filled at all times and elimi­
nate Uie chance of the ship
sailing shorthanded.

Nels Larson
Contact Mrs. Pearl Larson, 1512

Constance St., New Orleans 13, La.
I ^ $1

James Phelps
Get in touch with Hugh Potter,

Internal Revenue Service, PC Box
1278, Savannah))* Ga.

t 3^
John J. Leskun

We're all anxious and worried
about you. Please write home.
Rene.

' 3ii> 3^
"Brownie"

Your wife and baby are sick and
need you. Contact 1014 Di-uidon Ct.

4- 3J' 3«
Audly C. Foster

The above-named man or anyone
knowing his whereabouts is asked
to get in toucli with his wife. Rose
Foster, 714 Grand St., Hoboken,
NJ, regarding some important pa­
pers.

3J' 3» 3i»
"A friend" wishes to thank Hank

Walters, Mike and others on the
Topa Topa for the wonderful favor
they did in Frisco.

4 4 4
"Violante"

Kenneth Heller, who was with
you in the 81st Boat Company in
La Pallice, France, wants you to
contact him at 1987 E. 22 St.,
Brooklyn, NY.

4 4 4
Robert L. Willis

An important message is being
held for you by Mrs. S. Wessel,
Seamen's Church Institute, 25
South St., New York 4, NY.

4 4 4
David E. Collins

Your mother is ill and wants you
to contact her at 102 Seth Boyden
Terrace, Newark 12, NJ.

4 4 4
Thomas Hickey

The above-named man or anyone
knowing his whereabouts is urged
to get in touch with his wife. She
is now living at 2406 Newkirk Ave.,
Brooklyn, NY.

4 4 4
Gustavo W. Beehert

Contact your wife at 2106 Poplar
Grove St., Baltimore 19, Md., or
phono Wilkens 7-1191.

Mike Romanoff
SS Natalie

Gear you left behind on SS Has­
tings in Seattle has been left in
SUP baggage room, .San Francisco.
It is in a carnation canned milk
carton with your name on top.- Art,
ex-SS Hastings.

4 3r 4
Ex-SS John B. Waterman

Disputed overtime from the pay­
off' in Tampa can be collected from
Waterman office in Mobile by
Charles Gill, steward; Jessie Win-
field, galleyman, and Robert Lips­
comb, NCB.

4 4 • 4
Baggage of the following men

wliich has been left 18 months or
more -at the Seamen's House
YMCA, 550 W. 20 St., New York.
Nit, will be disposed of after Feb­
ruary 21 unless claimed:

W. Atterliury. R. Barlow, f. Braver. R. Buiia.
W. Bunardlne, i. Clark. W. Oavli. M. OeNlcala.
R. Diinnigan, F. Farnandei. N. Finley. J. Fliher,
D. Gabriel. J. Galvin, M. Goldberl. H. Harriot.
F. Jacobs. G. Joseph. J. Klenons. H. MacOonald.
R. Manuard. 0. Nelson. H. Nielron. P. Nolan.
J. Nuoenban, S. Orelllan. J. Rosario. W. Schultz.
C. Sinilatoa, F. Thomat, R. Warden.

PORT C CALL
now M BOTH

I2I6RBAL-1:



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t:

me Elfflit SEAFARERS IPG
f:^ l^niarsr-l, 19S7

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, • • • '" -' ' . • ' '•• ••'••^^^•v^'-V.;^! ^-JV.I r,}\ .j'':i*>,-''^. • ^ '

<A <» O

Seafarers are right in the midst of one of the
most significant trends in cargo handling—the
development of "lift-on"'and "roll-on" ships.
Pioneering in the "lift-on" area is the SlU-con-
tracted Pan Atlantic Steamship Company,
while the recently-signed TMT Trailer Ferry
inc. Is an advecate of "roll-on" transportation.

The "lift-on" as represented by Pan-Atlan­
tic's piggyback tankers, and its planned con-
tainerships, has the advantage-oif eliminating
the waste space involved in carrying truck
undercarriages, since it handles trailer bodies
like so many boxes. However, it requires a
special shoreside rig to load and unload the
containers, making it best suited for vessels
on a fixed itinerary.

The "roll-on" ship, while accommodating a
smaller number of truck froilers, can load or
discharge anywhere a dock and truck driver
is available. It carries its own loading rig in
the form of stern romps as well as portable
side ramps to upper decks. This fiexibility has
stirred considerable interest among military
authorities.

Pictured here is the SlU-manned Carib Queen,
first of a projected fleet of "roli-on" ships
shown at Jacksonville, Flo., and at the Brooklyn
Army base prior to its maiden voyage. The
outcome of the TMT and Pan-Atlantic innova­
tions is likely to alter the shape of merchant
shipping in. the years come.

first of the * ROLL-ONS'
The converted Landing Ship Dock, Carib Queen, is shown in Jacksonville, Fla., before departing on her
maiden voyage. Broad beam, stern ramps and huge enclosed deck running through length of ship make
LSD's ideally-suited for "roll-on" type operation. A sister ship, the Florida Queen, is now in the yards.

In addition to loading through the stern, ship has this portable side ramp, making it possible for trucks and
cars to roll up to a spacious deck aft. Trucks already loaded are visible at top. A second ramp for auto-,
mobiles runs to a third deck forward of the bridge. The Carib Queen carries the side ramps along with It.
All it needs is a JIat docking area to unload.

Driver backs Army refrigerated truck up stern
ramp'into mammoth enclosed deck. Trucks
are then lashed down to deck brackets with
wire ropes ai]d turnbuckles.



< JPebniaiT tfllST

•>• '••• • 'ru'''r"f^'3il^.

SEAFARERS LOG Pace NfM

Here truck trailer is shown eommg off por;fable side ramp aboard upper deck aft. Ramp in foreground
leads up to the third deck forward of the midships house. Row of objects running along deck floor are
brackets to which trailers are lashed to the deck. In "lift-on" operations, trailer-truck undercarriage is
eliminated and trailer bodies are locked onto deck.

Upper deck, aft, is shown fully-loaded with
truck trailers. Under normal conditions, com­
pany says it can load the entire yessel withirt,
foiTr hours.

Inside enclosed lower deck driver bacjcs truck
into place. He then disengages cab and drives
out to pick up another trailer body. Guide^
rails help him back 'trucks in.

Portion of the deck, forward of the bridge,
which is used for automobiles. Wide midship
house provides plenty of space for crew quar­
ters and other shipboard iFacilities.

Part of gang is shown running through fire and boat drill {top, left) while in Jacksonville. At top right
is SlU scholarship winner Joe Kite (leftl'^ and electrician Jack Myer. Kite did some of ship's electrical in­
stallations ip between engineering studies at U. of Florida. Bottom left, saloon pantryman Wilson Deal
shows off electric slishwasher. At: right, it's coffeetime for D. Martin, P. Bagget, D. Hiotto.

Deck gang takes in lines at Merrill-Stevens
drydock as ship gets ready to go to oil berth
for bunkers. Yessel is now under charter to
MSTS.



PaffC Ten SEAFARERS LOG Februnir-1, 1951'

S'ii.

I »•<•,

|!~ k

ROYAL OAK (Cities Service), Dec.
,13—Chairman, J. Henry; Secretary,
D. Beard. New delegate and treasurer
elected. Ship's fund $66.03 left in
custody of Houston Hall while ahip
was In Galveston yard. Vote of thanks
to baker for sweets put out at coffee
time.

ley. Feed shore workers after crew
leaves messruom.

STEEL SCIENTIST (Isthmian), Nov.
l-.-Chalrmap, R. Johnson; Secretary,
S. Zeagler. Ice box door and ice ma­
chine question. Side remarks directed
.at steward uncalled, for and against
Vhion policy. Personal feuds shall
not be used to involve entire crew

! or go against Union constitution. Mat-
' ter to be discussed with patrolman.

Noy. 4—Chairman, R. Johnson; Sec-
. ratary, S. Zeagler. Discussed anony-
: mous writings concerning chief stew-
^ ard. Complaints about food prepara­
tion. Two men missed ship: rejoined

: next port. One man hospitalized
' in Honolulu; replacement obtained.

SWEETWATER (Metre Pet.), Oct. 17
—Chairman, L. Gain; Secretary, B.
Shapiro. One man sick in hospital;
to be referred to patrolman at pay­
off. Ship's fund S4.S0. Saloon mess
having trouble with Chief Mate: to be
referred to patrolman. Delegate to
see patrolman about fans, library and
rusty water.

Nov. 11—Chairman, C. Taylor; Sec­
retary, B. Shapiro. To obtain library
upon arrival in port. Arrangements
to be made for launch service in
Ostrica. Ship's fund SZ.40. Discussion
on launch service in Ostrica. Discus­
sion on heat in foc'sles: grade of
meat being put aboard. Delegate to
check on man who missed ship in
Ostrica. Crew to donate 25c each to
ship's fund.

MONTEBELLO HILLS (Western
Tankers), Doc. 2—Chairman, J. Mc-
Kreth; Secretary, E. Lambe. Ship's
fund S37. One SUP member picked up
in Laurenco Marques. Repair list to
be submitted before arrivai in states.
Draw list made out fur travelers
checks. Passagewa.vs sprayed. Quar­
ters need painting. Port 'discharges
not received. Captain keeping men
from working overtime. Expressed
appreciation for fine Thanksgiving
dinner served. One member Jailed
and fined in Laurenco Marques for
profane language. Mate involved in
fight with crew members. Captain
disputing overtime. Headquarters to
be notified of conditions on ship.

ALCOA ROAMER (Alcoa), Nov. 22—
Chairman, H. Caskill; Secretary, F.
Colro. Two men hospitalized. Ship's
fund $19.05. Members to donate $2
each toward ship's fund. To ask pa­
trolman about transportation at pay­
off.

LOSMAR (Calmar), Dec. 9—Chair­
man, none; Secretary, T. Lindsey. Few
hours disputed overtime. New dele­
gate elected. Suggestion that chipping
be postponed during meal hour. Need
more jams and less marmalade. Larger
hot water heater required. Repair
lists made up. Messhall and pantry
to be kept clean. Vote of thanks to
steward department for Job well done.

PENNMAR (Calmar), Dec. 9—Chair­
man, F. Holland; Secretary, V. Monte.
Ail lockers to be painted. Foc'sles
to be left clean when leaving ship.
Fine cooperation among crew. Report
accepted. Need soap dishes for show­
ers. Vote of thanks to steward de­
partment for fine Job and good serv­
ice. Vote of thanks to ship's delegate.

. QUEENSTON HEIGHTS (Mar Trado
Corp.), Nov. 17—Chairman, C. Bright-
well; Secretary, E. Ray. No LOGS or
commuiiicetions received. One man
hospitalized at Bahrein. Headquar­
ters notified. Repair list to be sub­
mitted again: repairs not being made.
Some disputed overtime. All foc'sles
and passagewa.vs to be painted. Vote
of thanks to steward department for
fine Job.

STEEL ADMIRAL (Isthmian), Nov.
IS—Chairman, C. Scoflold; Secretary,
t. Lewis. No repairs or painting
done. Letter to be written to head­
quarters concerning same. Eleven
copies of bound LOGS for sale at SS
a copy. Treasurer and secretary-
reporter elected. Donation of S2 from
each crew member to purchase copies
of LOGS. Balance for ship's fund.
Steam valve on coffee um to be re-
paii-ed. Sink leaks in officers' pantry;
to be repaired. Need 1957 calendars:
hotter water In pantry and rooms.
Milk to be ordered in Durban. Crew
warned about loggings. Delegate to
check on back-dating . of articles.
Shore workers to be kept out of ca^

BALTORE (Ore), Nov. 17—Chairman,
C. Hildreth; Secretary, J. Mack. Eighty
hours disputed overtime. Washing
room to be cleaned. Ship's fund

^$20.75. ^Radio to be repaired. Water
"vAy rusty. Request occasional cook­

ies at coffee time. Will notify Wel­
fare if bosun quits ship in Panama. .

JOSE MARTI (Overseas Nov.), May
27 — Chairman, L. lovlnio; Secretary,
M. Kruse. Various beefs pertaining
to security watches. Ship's fund $47.
Treasurer elected. Repairs being
made.' New reporter elected. Need
more Juices in morning and more va­
riety of meals. Mess hall and recre­
ation room to be kept clean. Request
more than one carton oL cigarette^
per week. Crew to take better care
of washing machine.

June 29—Chairman, M. Kruse; Sec--
retary, J. Lewis. Some overtime beefs:
to be discussed with patrolman. Ship's
fund $47. Better preparation of fond
requested. Delegates to inspect store­
rooms for quantity and quality of
food. Tablecloths to be removed after
dinner. Cigarettes* to be discarded in
receptacles.

Ship'! fimd $4. Arrival pool to b«
started. New washing machine pur­
chased. Few hours disputed. Letter
on new books discussed. Vote of
thanks to credential committee. Ship
to be fumigated. Drinking and wash
water tanks to be cleaned. Discussion
on jrepair list. Steward asked to ob­
tain bleach and watch food prepara­
tion more closely. Members to clean
up after using laundry. Proper attire
to be worn in pantry and messhall.
Quiet to be observed in passageways.
Ask patrolman about fresh milk in
Japan and other foreign ports.

LAWRENCE VICTORY (MISS), Nov.
10—Chairman, S. Stevens; Secretary,
S. Rivera. Treasurer elected. Need
new galley range. Discussion on roll­
ing chucks for ship: suggestion to
have same installed. Reports ac­
cepted.

Nov. 24 — Chairman, A. Gragoire;
Secretary, S. Rivera. Rough weather
this trip. Few hours disputed over­
time. Reported accepted. Vote of
thanks to steward dept. for good
Thanksgiving dinner. Would like com­
pany to supply ice cream freezer.
Crew remained to cast their votes.

DEL MAR (Miss.), Nov. II—Chair­
man, R. Stoughi Secretary, C. Dewl-
Ing. Men who put in for lodging
while air-conditioning was off, will be
held up for port ruling. Members
urged to vote. Ship's fund $376.77.
Some dsputed overtime. Reports ac­
cepted. Vote of thanks to negotiat­
ing committee for wage increase,
overtime and welfare benefits. Movies
to be rented with money from ship's
fund.

STEEL VENDOR (Isthmian), Nov. U
—Chairman, J. Henning; Secretay, V.
Orancio. Two men missed ship in
Subic, rejoined in Manila. Captain to
order fresh milk in Durban. Ship's
fund $27.91. Reports accepted. Re­
pair list incomplete. Laundry room
needs sougeeing: drain pipe in re­
frigerator plugged up,. should be
cleaned.

ALCOA PATRIOT (Alcoa), Nov. 2$
—Chairman, E. Grady; Secretary, D.
Knapp. To see patrolman about mail
service in Trinidad. Ship's fund
$77.62. Few hours disputed overtime.
Fine Thanksgiving dinner served.
Mail service beef. Discussion to keep
longshoremen out of passageways.
Gangway watch to keep an eye on all
open doors.

ALCOA PARTNER .Alcoa), Nov. 22
—Chairman, S. Jansson; Secretary, C.
DeHospadales. Payoff on Monday.
Vote of thanks to steward department
for Job well . done. Few hours dis­
puted overtime. Cook got off sl»ip
due to illness. Report accepted. New
delegate elected. Motion to elect new
delegate every three months to rotate
from each department.

CITY OF ALMA (Waterman), Aug.
25—Chairman, G. Noles; Secretary, J.
Shearer. Ship's fund $21.65. Contact
headquarters about receiving logs in
foreign ports. Need new washing ma­
chine. To reimburse steward for taxi
fare in Casablanca. Delegates to con­
tact patrolman on all beefs.

Oct. 4—Chairman, T. Scruggs; Sec­
retary, J. Shearer. New treasurer
elected. New delegate elected.

ANTINOUS (Waterman), Oct. 12—
Chairman, J. Duniop; Secretary, M.
Broussard. One man missed ship in
Mobile. Minor deck beef settled. New
delegate elected. Beefs to be settled
at meetings. Clean clothes to be taken
down when dry. Night lunch used
several times. Eggs taste peculiar.
Bread and buns too hard.

MARYMAR (Calmar), Oct. 17—Chair­
man, T. Butarakos; Secretary, H.
Cuinier. Iron purchased for $8.50
from ship's fund. Ship's fund $20.10.
Few hours disputed overtime. New
delegate elected. Former delegate
hospitalized. Vote of thanks to baker.
Patrolman to get member straightened
out regarding importance of cleanli­
ness.

CHILORE (Ore), Oct. 15—Chairman,
T. Yablonsky; Secretary, J. Abrams.
Ship's fund $16.28. Spent $20 for
wreath for mate's wife. Report ac­
cepted. Need new urn brush. Urn to
be cleaned out twice a week with
baking soda. Discussion on profiteer­
ing on board ship.

ALCOA CLIPPER (Alcoa), Oct. I—
Chairman, L. Nicholas; Secretary, C.
Blalack. Special communication on
admissions to Class "A" seniority rat­
ings. Report accepted.

Oct. 14—Chairman, R. Roberts; Sec­
retary, J. Barnett. Captain to take
action if men do not attend fire and
boat drill. Collected $80 for movies.
New delegate elected. Delegate to see
patrolman about water. Discussion on
drinking water fouling up every time
ship rolls.

OCEAN EVA (Maritime Overseai),
®*L f—Chairman, A. Capote; Secre­
tary, W. Daniels. New delegate elect­
ed. Ship's fund $26. Poor mail lerv-
lee to ship. Contact Seattle hall
requesting company to forward mall.
To contact Frisco regarding transpor­
tation Issue from- Seattle. Welcome
extended all SUP and MFOW mem­
bers. -

SlU Co s

FINAL DISPATCH
Tli« deaths of the following SeO' Burial took place in St. Stanislaus

farers have been reported to the
Seafarers Welfare Plan and the
SIU death benefit is being paid to
their beneficiaries:

Robert Brown, 57: On November
21, 1950, Brother Brown died at

sea aboard the
SS Steel Age.
Cause of death is
unknown. He is
survived by a sis­
ter, Hattie Myers
of New Orleans,
La. Brother
Brown joined the
Union on Novem­
ber 5, 1943, and

was sailing in the steward depart­
ment.

4- it 5" *
James Harvey Walker,. 47: Bro­

ther Walker died from pneumonia
in Baltimore, Md.
on January 4,
1957. He..Joined
the Union on
April 5, 1943,
and was sailing
in the engine de­
partment. Bro­
ther Walker is
survived by his

.wife,Doris
extra ships available to the Navy. Blanche Walker of Baltimore, Md. |

Stepped-up pace of fantcer building In US yardi is lymbolized by launching of 46,500-ton
World Beauty at QuincyrMass. Ship is designed for foreign operation but same Interests an­
nounced order for 106,500-tonner to be under US flag.

A(3ditional plans for new tankers have been announced by two SlUrcontracted companies
—one of them being even larger than the projected "world's largest ship" ordered by Vic-
ory Carriers.
Transoceanic Marine, repre­

senting the Niarchos interests,
has ordered a 106,500 dead-
vfcight ton'tanker to cost an esti­
mated $23 million. Thy tanker
would be ready for service at the
end of 1959. The usual transfer
provisions would apply. In this
instance, two smaller tankers, a
65,000-tonner and a 32,650-ton
tanker, would be transferred to
foreign flag after being ordered
originally for US operation.

One other 32,650-ton ship is
slated for American-flag operation
by this company.

Of immediate benefit to Sea­
farers is the announcement that
the Military Sea Transportation
Service has extended the charters
for four Orion agency supertank­
ers, the Orion Star, Orion Planet,
Orion Comet and Orion Clipper.
These ships are of 29,300 dead­
weight tons. Now under time char­
ter for two to three years, the ships
will go on consecutive, voyage
charter for four to five years when
their present charters expire.

In addition, MSTS will charter
for 3V2 years a new 63,000-ton
tanker being built for Orion by
Bethlehem for 1960 delivery.

MSTS said that its contract with
Orion is "part of its program of
forward planning to permit the
lay-up of the Government owned
tankers as a mobilization reserve."
The Government ships had to he
broken out to meet the current oil
emergency, so that 'there are no

Cemetery.
4 t i"

John B. Hegarty, 72: Brother
Hegarty died from natural causes
in Paducah, Kentucky, on Novem­
ber 2, 1956. He joined the Union
on April-28, 1942, and was sailing
in the engine departinent. Brother
Hegarty is survived "by a sister,
Mary Ellen Hegarty of Paducah.
Kentucky. Burial took place in
Mt. Carmel Cemetery.

List Details In
Cables To Union

When notifying headquarters
by cable or wireless that a Sea­
farer has paid off iii a foreign
port because of injury or illness,
ships' delegates should include
the following information:

The man's full name, his SIU,
book number, name of the ship,
the port of payoff and the hos­
pital where he is being treated.

The response of ship's crews
to the Unjon's request for these
notificatiims has been very good.
Sometimes though, not ail of
the above information has been
included. Be sure to list all of
this data so that the SIU can
act as promptly as possible.

DIRECTORY OF SIU BRANCHES
SIU, A&G District

BALTIMORE 1216 E. Baltimore St.
Earl Sheppai-d, Agent "EAstern 7-4900

BOSTON 276 State St.
James Sheehan. Agtnt Richmond 2-0140

HOUSTON... 4202 Canal St.
A. Michelet, Agent Capital 7-6538

LAKE CHARLES, La 1419 Ryan St.
Leroy Clarke, Agent HEmlock 6-5744

MOBILE 1 South Lawrence St.
Cal Tanner, Agent HEmlock 2-1754
NEW ORLEANS 523 BienvUle St.
Lindsey WUliams. Agent Tulane 8626
NEW YORK ... . 675 4th Ave., Brooklyn

HYaclnth 9-6600
I NORFOLK 127-129 Bank St.
Ben Rees, Agent MAdison 2-9834
PHILADELPHIA.,.. 337 Market St.
S. CardiiUo. Agent Market 7-1635

I PUERTA de TIERRA PR. Pelayo 51—La 5
Sal Colls, Agent Phone 2-5996
SAN FRANCISCO 450 Harrison St.
Marty Breithoff. Agent Do:;;;,:s 2-5475
SAVANNAH
E. B. McAuIey. Agent
SEATTLE
JeU GiUette. Agent

2 Abercorn St.
A >-.» 3-1728

..' 2505 1st Ave.
EUlott 4334

I TAMPA 1809-1811 N. FrankUn St.
Tom Banning, Agent Phona 2-1323

WILMINGTON. CaUf 505 JIarine Ave.
Reed Humphries. Agent Terminal 4-2874
HEADQUARTERS....675 4th Ave., Bklyn.
- SECRja-ARY-TREASUREB

Paul HaU
ASST. SECRETARY-TREASURERS

J. Alglna, Deck C, Simmons. Joint
J. VoTpian, Eng.
E. Mooney. Std.

W. HaU. Joint
R. Matthews. Joint

SUP
HONOLULU 1$ Merchant St.

Phone 5-8777
PORTLAND 211 SW Clay St.

CApital 3-4336
RICHMOND. CaUt....S10 Macdonald Ave.

BEacon 2-0925
SAN FRANCISCO........450 Harrison St.

Douglas 2-8363
SEATTLE ....2303 1st Ave.

Main 0290
WILMINGTON... 505 Marine Ave.

Terminal 4-3131
NEW YORK 675 4th Ave.. Brooklyn

HYaeintta 9-0165

Canadian District
HALIFAX. N.S .IZSVY HoUis St.

Phono 3:8911
MONTREAL..„...834 St. James St. West

PLateau 8181
FORT WILLIAM ...130 Simpson St.

Ontarla Phone: 8-3221

PORT COLBORNE 103 Durham St.
Ontario Phone: 5591

TORONTO, Ontario 272 King St. E.
EMpire 4-5719

VICTORIA, BC......617^1 Cormorant Stt
EMpire 4531

VANCOUVER, EC .298 Main St.
Pacific 34U8

SYDNEY. NS.... 304 Charlotte St.
Phone: 6346

BAGOTVILLE. Quebec... 20 Elgin St.
Phone; 545

THOROLD. Ontario 52 St. Davids St.
CAnal 7-3202

QUEBEC 83 St. Pierre St.
Quebec Phone: -3-1569

SAINT "jOHN 85 Germain St.
NB: Phone: 2-5232

Great Lakes District
ALPENA. 1215 N. Second Ave.

Phone: 713-J
BUFFALO. NY 180 Main St.

Phone: Cleveland 7391
CLEVELAND 734 Lakeside Ave.. NE

Phone; Main 1-0147
DETROIT ..1038 3rd St.

Headquarters Phone: Woodward 1-6857
DULUTH 531 W. Michigan St.

Phone': Randolph 2-4110
SOUTH CHICAGO 3281 E. 92nd St.

Phone: Essex 5-2410



•• •, .. '
Febraary 1, 1957 SEAFARERS LOG Page Eierem

" •:^l

'They Have No Business Traveling,.

•
mm^'"

Good Shipping
BOSTON-r Shipping has jbeen

good" in this area. There is little
else to report at this time. ,

Port Agent James Sheehan said
the outlook is still uncertain, but
If anywhere near the same amount
of ships turns up here; during the
current period, things will be fine.

He listed six payoffs, five sign-
ons and three in-transit ships as
the cause of the port's relative
prosperity. Shipping practically
equalled registration, so there is
no real beef on that score.

The "Council Grove and Govern­
ment Camp (Cities Service), Alice
Brown (Bloomfield), Fa® Oceanic
Transporter (Pan Oceanic), Mi­
chael (Carras) and Ocean Ulla
(Ocean Trans) were the payoffs.
With the exception of the Ocean
Ulla, they all signed on again.

In transit to the po];t were the
Kem Hills (Fairfield), Steel
Artisan (Isthmian) and Val Chem
(Valentine). All payoffs were clean
and the shiiJS were in good shape,
Sheehan added.

See Pickup
In Lk. Chas.

LAKE CHARLES—Job activity
here slowed up somewhat last pe­
riod, but it should pick up again
before long.

Port Agent Leroy Clarke pointed
out there was only one payoff and
sign-on during the last two weeks,
although 14 ships made an appear­
ance during the period. The lone
payoff^ was the Chiwawa (Cities
Service), which signed on coast­
wise all over again.

Eleven other Cities Service tank­
ers, in addition to the Del Sol
(Mississippi) here and the Val
Chem (Valentine) ii Port Neches>
Texas, paid & call; They were,all
in good shape, free of beefs.

Act?.

Americans always like to boast about their ingenuity and
their get-up-and-go. In many areas, these qualities are al­
most legendary—the automobile industry being a good ex­
ample. But when it comes to transatlantic passenger ship­
ping these typical American traits are sadly lacking.

Instead there exists a stodgy "why change?" outlook with
operators content, year after year, to cling to an outworn pat­
tern of operation which regards ocean travel as "luxury" and
an unprofitable prestige item. Meanwhile it is the European
shipowner who is abreast of the times and eagerly and ingeni­
ously adapting his-operations to meet the changing pattern of
travel. The Europeans have grasped an important economic
fact, namely that ocean travel is.no longer a "luxury" for a
pampered few, but is well within means for untold millions
of Americans. .

European operators are building tourist-class ships for this
trade as fast as their resources permit, but the flood of trav­
elers seeking accommodations is rising even faster. Yet
American steamship operators yawn in the face of the op­
portunity to add more ships, provide many jobs and inciden­
tally, make quite a few bucks for themselves.

Perhaps operators who have been spoon-fed on subsidies
for 20 years no longer have the energy or the spark to get out
of their swivel chairs and tackle the problem. The only
bright spot on the horizon is the plan of the Arnold Bernstein
shipping interests, newcomers to US flag traffic in this trade,
for a low-cost passenger ship. A few more infusions of new
blood in this area would be beneflcial to seamen, the traveling
public and the entire merchant marine.

3^ 4-

World Needs US Ships
For years the SIU and other sections of the maritime in­

dustry have been warning America that she must maintain
a sizable merchant navy to serve her own peacetime needs
and be prepared for all emergencies.

Far too often, these warnings have fallen upon deaf ears.
True, when the occasion prompted it, various orators, gen­
erally speaking for the US Government, have arisen and paid
lip service to the ideal of a strong US merchant fleet. But
sometimes, their actions have resulted in decimating the
fleet, rathe^ than strengthening it. Even now there are ele­
ments who are intent on undermining the "50-50" law.

It is especially interesting and heartening, therefore, to
have the Norwegian shipping interests, traditionally foes of
"50-50" and other aid to US shipping, come out now in favor
of a strong US merchant marine, as reported elsewhere^in
this issue. Such a fleet, the Norwegians point out, is vital
not only for the protection of the US but the protection of all
of the Western world.

We hope , that these words, coming from across, the seas,
wiir iend productive emphasis to what US maritime unions
have^een saying all along. ' ,

Congress Approval Seen
For 24-Hour Quarantine

WASHINGTON—^It looks like the steamship industry is go­
ing to get its 24-hour quarantine service on a permanent basi*-
after all. President Eisenhower has requested funds for this
purpose for the balance of the
1957 fiscal year and has in­
cluded a budget request for
$190,700 to cover the service
through the 1958 fiscal year.

If approved by Congress as ex­
pected, the new funds would make
it possible for ships to clear Quar­
antine when arriving in port after
five PM. Under the existing oper­
ation, any ship arriving after that
hour has to drop the hook and wait
until the next morning before it
can clear Quarantine and dock.

Shipping interests have long
protested this-arrangement as un­
necessarily costly to them. In the
past two years, efforts were made
late in the legislative sessions to
get approval for overtime pay for
Quarantine inspectors so 4hat they
could handle late arrivals.

The bill passed two years ago
but was vetoed by the President.
Last year, it was lost in the ad­
journment rush.

Job Activity
Still Frantic
In Seattle

SEATTLE—Luck came in "sev­
ens" during the past two weeks in
this port.

A streak of seven pay9ffs, an
equal number of sign-ons and an­
other seven in-transit ships com­
bined to produce "terriffic ship­
ping," Port Agent Jeff Gillette re­
ported. However, activity should
slow down some in the current
period.

The list of payoffs and sign-ons
was identical, creating a heavy de­
mand for replacement manpower.
Registration was far below the
shipping totals.

The payoffs included the Murray
Hill (Fairfield), Natalie (Intercon­
tinental), George A. Lawson (Pan
Oceanic), Anniston (Ace), Trans­
atlantic (Pacific Waterways), Wild
Ranger (Waterman) and Ocean
Dinny (Ocean Trans).

Brief visits were made by the
Hastings, Jean LaFitte, City of
Alma (Waterman), plus the York-
mar, Pennmar, Calmar and Mass-
mar (Calmar), all in transit, ^^^ll of
the ships in port were in good
shape.

The same doesn't apply to. Sea­
farer R. McLeod, Gillette noted.
McLeod was reporting to the local
marine hospital for a physical
prior to shipping out, slipped on
the ice while getting out of a cab
and broke his leg. He's now signed
on as a patient at the hospital
instead.

Cowdrey

The American Coal Liberty ship
Thomas Paine is locked up tighter

than a drum,
thanks in part to
the efforts of Sea­
farers who havo
been picketing
her along with
marine engineers
and mates. The
weather, was
rough on the
pickets too, with
tempera tures

down to three degrees and never
rising above 20 for several days in
a row but the lines have held firm
just the same.

Among Seafarers who have real­
ly put out on the line are R. Wen­
dell, R. Haskins, A. Aciego, D. Ray
and G. Ross.

Also R. Audy, R. Miller, C. Ben-
civeinga, A. Greenier, F. Morales,
L. Aloba, T. Cordova, H. R. Arm­
strong, R. Andersen and A. Grillo.
These are a few
of the many men
who have done
a n outstanding
job on the line.

Picket captain
Robert Cowdrey
deserves a boost
for keeping the
lines going
smoothly and fill- Wendell
ing in himself on
many occasions when thfte was «
slot open.

Other pickets have been putting
out equally in Baltimore, Charles­
ton ^d Savannah, but at least its
a trifle warmer in that direction.

3^ t 4
The crew on the Seatrain Loui­

siana has noted "big thanks" to
Casimir Szymanski, chief cook, Don
Foster, 3rd cook and Wong Chin,
night cook. On the Western Trader,

all is sweetness
and light also,
with the bosun
and entire crew
giving the stew­
ard department a
vote of thanks for
their service. In
return, the stew­
ard department
praised the deck
department for

the nice paint job on the showers
and toilets. Plenty of harmony to
go around here.

Foster

Sub Ships On Way: Morse
Last issue the SEAFARERS LOG reported on the plans of a

Japanese builder for a submarine oil tanker powered by atomic
energy. Now Maritime Administrator Clarence Morse is talking in
terms of a whole fleet of such ships, both tankers and freighters.

Before anybody rushes out to buy a skin diving outfit, let's hasten
to say that the Maritime Administrator was speaking in terms of
40 years from now.

He predicted world-wide adoption jof such submarine ships, and
what's more, foresaw them being operated by remote control from
a shoreside point.

Speed? Oh yes, plenty of that. He estimated that 50 to 60 knots
would be normal underwater cruising speeds for the ships-to-be,
making an Atlantic crossing in two days or so.

Underwater ships like theoe, it is believed, could sail underneath
sevefe weather disturbances. They would also keep the crews (if
any) from Offering channel fever.

i ..f i l!;.?;-," f.-.i i:"



i
fkse Twelve SEAFARERS LOG Febroary 1, 1951

'Sea-Spray' —Jby Seafarer Raberf 'Red' Fink Works Ashorei

'Yeah, I love you. You're the most beautiful girl for a
thousand miles . .

LOG-A-RHYTHM:

Wrath Of The Sea
By William Willdridge

We were sailing along on a coasturise trip
Till we came to the cape called Hatteras,
When the angry winds and the stormy sea
Came out to challenge and batter us.

V/e didn't have much ballast
And the ship was very light.
When suddenly all hell broke loose
As we sailed along that night.

The giant waves came whipping over us
They may have been 30 feet high—
But seeing them crash and come' tumbling down
You'd think they came from the sky.

Then, to make matters worse,
We ran into fog and rain.
And it seemed right there to all the crew
That the sea had gone insane.

The crew began to curse the sea
»"Stay down, you devilish ivitch'."

But the raging sea continued on.
Through a night as black as pitch.

It seemed a battle to survive
As we fought the sea's great might.
But for all the beating that it took.
Our ship never gave up the fight.

Then the storm subsided.
As quickly as it came,
It seemed to be a miracle
How quickly it was tame.

But now that you've heard the epic
Of the mighty, raging sea,
I'm set to go right out again
'Cause that's life for me.

* —SS CoTernment Camp

Really Misses
A Patrolman!

Working with the Air Force,
even as a civilian, Seafarer Wil­
liam R. Cameron sure misses see­
ing a union patrolman every pay­
day. He's learning the perils of
shoreside living—^with no union on
your side—the hard way.

"I haven't been to sea in about
a year . . . thought I would try the
beach for a while since the Air
Force here at Brookley Air Base,
Mobile, needed a photographer.
Although I've been hei-e about 11
months, I first retired my SlU
book in August In case I make up
my mind to go back to sea in a
liurry," Cameron pointed out. He
got off the Del Sol a year a'go.

"Right now I'm employed at the
base as a photographic laboratory
technician," but don't let the name
fool you. It ^oesn't mean any­
thing. As a matter of fact, by the
time you print this, 1 will be out of
the laboratory. • . ,

"Having once belonged to a un­
ion like the SlU, a guy can't stand
a set-up like that. Whenever it
came "time for OT, the boss and
his assistant ihade it. 1 have no
patrolman at these payoffs, so 1
don't see any money when the boss
does my job.

"This is probably one reason
why very few men can stay on the

C
r'; *

On "location" at Brooklyn
Air Base, Seafarer William-
R. Cameron misses that OT.

beach. The Union has us spoiled—
and we love it; It's always good
to have someone to back you up,"
he added.

At any rate, Cameron said, his
present situation with the Army
has proved very valuable in one
respect. It's made him a sadder
man but a wiser one. "You never
know how good a thing is until
it's gone," he writes.

Can You Top This?

Unwilling to bo tabbed as slouches in the angling department, Seafarers on the Texmar dis­
play part of their recent catch of 58 dolphin, tuna and wahoo, all of which weighed in at
around 1,600 pounds. -Bill Souder submitted the photos and figures. '

Urges Aii-Oiii
'Ship US'Drive
To the Editor:

Many American manufactur­
ers who ship their products
overseas don't know the differ­
ence between American-flag
ships and those 'under foreign
flags except that one is cheaper
than the other.

An advertising campaign by
the many licensed and unli­
censed seamen's unions could
show American manufacturers

Letters To
The Editor

All letters to the editor for
publication in the SEAFAR-
ER§ LOG must be signed
by the writer. Names will
be withheld upon request.

the many advantages of using
US bottoms that far outweigh
the higher cost.

The groups which are inter­
ested in a strong US merchant
fleet are failing to use their
strongest weapon by not going
direct to those who can say
how their products should be
shipped. There would be less
"runaway" ships to contend with
if the manufacturer always said
"ship US."

Harry N. Schorr
3- 4» 4"

He's Happy Son
Tied The Knot
To the Editor:

Please publish this in the
LOG so that my brothers can
share my joy over the marriage
of my son, Robert on Jan. 13
in Brooklyn, New York. He has
chosen a wdnderful girl, also
from Brooklyn.

1 hope my shipmates on my
last ship, the Faiiiand, will see
this, too.

Samuel Erlitz

Wedding Assist
is Appreciated
To the Editor:

My wife and 1 would like to
thank the crew of the Mankato
Victory for the nice wedding
gift they presented to us.

We also wish to thank the ba­
ker for making our wedding
cake and offer our sincere
appreciation for the kindness
and understanding of the entbre
crew.

Roy A. Johnson
^ ^

Steel Seafarer
is Happy Ship
To the Editor:

We are pleased to report af­
ter a month's sailing from the
Port of New York that every­
thing is functioning smoothly
aboard the Steel Seafarer.
We're on the Persian Gulf run
via the Cape of Good Hope.

One of the many contributing
factors toward making this a
very comfortable trip was Capt.
Greenlaw's decision to have the
crew's quarters* painted at the
start of the voyage. We most
heartily approve of this action
and join in endorsing our old
man for being 100 percent fair
to the crew.

Another thing is that the
steward department has really
been putting it out in first-cabin
style. Anyone who maintains
that Christmas comes only once
a year has never been privileged
to sail with chief cook Ivar Ros-
vold and baker Clarence White.
Due to their continued' good ef­
forts, all attempts by some of

our good brothers to maiittaln «
reducing diet have been in vain.

Brother Pat Foy, our 8-lg fire­
man, stands out as exhibit A is
this category. He has gained IS
pounds and let out two notches
In his belt-line despite deter­
mined efforts to reduce.

The deck and engine depart­
ment departments are also oper­
ating in top SlU style.
Both departments are unusually
well manned and their efforts
display a teal pride and inter­
est in' what they accomplish.

Pete Walsh
Ship'e delegate

i t i
Offers Thanks
For Sympathy
To the Editor:

Please print this card of
thanks in the LOG. 1 wish to
express^ my appreciation to the
crew and mkster of the SS Paci­
fic Ocean for the gift check and
beautiful words, of sympathy
sent'me upon ^e death of my
dearly beloved son, W. E. Wad­
dle. He was also known as
"Buck" to all his friends.

I also want to thank the Un-'
ion welfare office and all those
who sent words of comfort. I
will never > forget everyone's
kindness during that time.

Mrs. Caroline Waddle
4- 4>

Buys Out Tavern
In Union City
To the Editor:

As a brother member of the
SlU in good standing, I'd ap­
preciate seeing this item in the
LOG regarding the place of
business I recently purchased.

It is the Glass Ceiling Tavern,
Bar & Grill, located at 140-48th
St., Union City, NJ, where a
neat, clean and friendly atmos­
phere prevails at all times.

Transportation to the tavern
is excellent. From Hoboken,
the-No. 19 or No. 21 Public
Service bus or from the Port
Authority Bus Terminal in New
York the No. 61 bus all leave
y<»u in front of the place. It
takes only about 15 minutes by
bus or cab from either place. ,

1 would also like it noted thai
I would like to hear from my
former buddies and shipmates,
especially Benny, Mike, George
and Gus.

In my business here, 1 have
an excellent patronage of tug­
boat and lighter captains from
the New York Central. 1 also
have a social and athletic club
which 1 am sure my brother
members,of the SlU will enjoy.

Greeting the New Year,
Ed Biedrzyckt loys hello
from his tavern in Union
City.

We have pool, darts, bowling
and other forms of entertain-'
ment.

1 would also like you to for­
ward some extra copies of the
LOG, whioii my patrons always
enjoy reading. Thank you for
your consideration, and smooth
sailing to all my brothers in the
future.

7 Edward C. Biedrxycki



•w.., .fr- •

Fekroai? 1. 18S7 SEAFARERS LOG' Page TJiirteen,

.ARICKARia <IJ«, P«».) (Nov.. 11-,,
Chstrmin, C. Shaw; Secretary, 3, St.
Marled 1 One' iheiAMr leK - lit: France,'
Report, pccepted. ; All cota and, linen
to be turned over to steward at end
ol 'voyage. AU-ituarlera (o be ICft
deant ^or next cvw. ^ ' t , :

ARLYN (Bull), Dec. 2—Chairman, R.
CRburke; Secretary, L. FIrlle. Ship'a
ftind S3.09.. Some disputed overtime.
Food to ,be Improved. Plumbing to be
connected in sink near ice box. New
library to be ordered.

BRADFORD ISLAND (Cities Service),
Oct. 2S,^Chaiamani E. Haskins; Sacra*
tary, J. Patterson. Delayed sailing in
Florida. Report accepted. Washing
maetaine to be fixed. «

CITRUS PACKER (Waterman), Dec.
I f—Chairman, A. House; Secretary, L.

Santa Anna. Ship's fund $13.89. Re­
port accepted. Incorrect distribution
of work—unqualified men assisting
electricians.

FRANCES (Bull), Dee. 14—Chair­
man, W. Desk; Secretary, A. Camp- -
bell. Delayed sailing disputed. Re­
port accepted. Bathrooms to be kept
clean: members urged to keep laun­
dry clean; shut off timer when fin­
ished. Wringer to be repaired and
black-gang foc'sles to be sougeed.
Gangway watch .should log all sailing
board changes.

HAROLD T. ANDREWS (New Eng­
land Ind.), Nov. -24—Chairman, C.
Downs; Secrotary, C. Decker. Poor
preparation of food: below par. Bunks
to be stripped down when leaving
ship. Ship's fund $8. Need new iron
—to be purchased from fund. Crew
recommended chief cook should not
sail as cook—to be referred to patrol­
man.

MANKATO VICTORY (Victory Car­
riers), Nov. 25—Chairman, C. Aycock;
Secretary, C. Rise. Some disputed
overtime. Report accepted. Discus­
sion about members drinking and
their actions during voyage. To be
referred to boarding patrolman for
action.

TOPA TOPA (Waterman), Dee. IJ—
Chairman, D. Ravosa; Secretary, F.
Kustura. Two men.missed ship. Four
hours disputed overtime. Report ac­
cepted. Repairs to be taken care of.
Vote of thanks to steward depart­
ment.

YORKMAR (Calniar), Nov. 25 —
Chairman, J. Gavin; Secretary, J.
Kain. Repair list submitted. Ship's
fund $18.22. Few hours disputed
overtime. Report accepted.

BATTLE ROCK (USPC), Nov. 18—
Chairman, J. Air; Secretary, B. Agol.
Mattresses to be checked before pay­
off. Ship's fund $55. Vote of thanks to
cooks and messman for fine job. Vote
of thanks to negotiating committee
for current contract. Charges recom­
mended for member who performed
While intoxicated.

Nov. 30—Chairman, O. Ruf; Secre­
tary, B. Agol. English pounds and
American cigarettes to be properly
declared in next English port. Dele­
gate to handle m?U at crew's request.
Stamp mone.v to 'oe taken from fund.
Stores to be obtained in next port o^
call. Ship's fund $17.75. Suggestion
to start arrival pool. Black gang to
paint own foc'sles. Draws to be given
out in respective country's currency
instead of checks. Shore personnel to
be kept out of messrooms and. pas­
sageways to prevent loss of gear, etc;
To see skipper about check system.

CHARLES C. DUNAIF (Orion), Nov.
II—Chairman, J. Zelrels; Secretary,
J. Morrison. Repair list submitted.
Report accepted. New delegate elect­
ed. Turn off washing machine after
using. Remove clothes from line when
dry. Steward department to take card
of recreation room: deck and engine
department laundry room.

HILTON (Bull), Dee. 10—Chairman,
E. Kreiii'(ne secretary). New dele­
gate elected. Soap tggbiiB left in show­
ers and wash roomff Suggestion to
use Yiew washed for white and new
clothes: old one for work clothOs.
Departments to alternate .in keeping
laundry clekn.

.JOHN; B^ WATER/MAN (Waterman),
Dec. 9—Chairman, A. Kamebra; Sec­
retary, G. Gill.' RepaU" list submitted.
Ship's fund .to be started at time of
draw in Seattle. Draw to be given
after iunitval due to lack of sufficient
American money aboard. Some dis­
puted overtime. New treasurer elect­
ed.'Waslilng machine to be repiaced
am arrival en east coast.

MADAKET (Waterman), Dec. 9 —
Chairman; W. > Herold; Secretary, C.
West. New delegate elected. New
movies to be obtained. Repair lists
to be drawn up and submitted be­
fore arrival in San Franclkco. Crew
to clear' messroom as quickly as pos­
sible on movie- night so movies can

shown promptly at 6 and 8 PAU.'

MANKATO VICTORY (Victory Car­
riers), Nov. 4—Chairman, M. Willey;
Secretary, A. Lazzaro. Beef with mas­
ter about mail. Some disputed over­
time. Report accepted. New delegate
elected. Need more night lunch.

MARORB (Ore), Dec. *—Chairman,
M. Ohstrom; Secretary, D. Fecko. Re­
pairs not made. Some disputed over­
time. Report accepted. New dete­
nte and reporter elected. Laundry
to be cleaned after use. Need hose
connection and electric plug for
ironer. Ironer to he kept by delegate
wliile in port.

MONARCH OF THE SEAS (Water­
man), Dec. 9—Chairman, D. Ransome;
Secretary, E. Ray. Report accepted.
Need new wasliing machine. Discus­
sion on repairs. Agent to be ap­
proached about payoff at sea.

CS MIAMI (Cities Service), Dec. 12
—Chairman, K. Hellman; Secretary,
F. Jennings. Some repairs made. Need
door hooks. Ship's fund $11. Reports
accepted. New delegate elected.

R^lYVAH (T. J. Stevenson), Dee. 2
—Chairman, 6. Bowden; Secretary, F.
Paylor. Repair Ust to be submitted.
Crew to be sober at payoff. Ship's
fund $34.72. Some disputed overtime.
To purchase new volume control for
messhall speaker. Messhall to be
kept clean at all times. Rooms to be
kept clean. Vote of thanks to radio
operator for news bulletins.

ROBIN TRENT (Robin), Oct. 14 —
Chairman, W. Walker; Secretary, M.
Kaminskl. New delegate, reporter and
treasurer elected. Discussion on clean­
ing laundry, slop sink and recreation
room—same set up to continue. Dis­
cussion on ship's fund: none to be
started.

STEEL EXECUTIVE (Isthmian),
Doc. 4—Chairman, (none); Secretary,
(none). No draw in Durban. One
accident. Some disputed overtime.
Request for more steaks. New wash­
ing machine to be ordered. Discussion
on securing milk in Durban. Potatoes
not cooked enough.

STEEL FLYER (Isthmian), ^bec. 2—
Chairman, J. Kowalski; Secretary, E,
Saul. Need new coffee urn. Not
enough heat: to be referred to patrol­
man. Rome men missed ship. Letter
to headquarters about shot situation.
Ship's fund $88.01. Few hours dis­
puted overtime. Reports accepted.
Discussion on having contract amend­
ed to carry more than one bale of
cargo to avoid paying transportation
when returning Ught. Need more
LOGS. Bread and milk to be bought
in smaller quantities and more fre­
quently. Rooms to be left clean.
Discussion on roast beef.

ROBIN DONCASTJR (Seas), Nov. 1$
—Chairman, A. Omiie; Secretary, J.
Samborskl. One member left ship
sick. Three ditty bags sent to hospi­
talized man. Few hours disputed
overtime. Reports accepted. Vote of
thanks to agents and headquarters
for accomplishments for contract,
etc. Discussion about steak night.
Need another percolator in messroom
—to be used during meal time only.
Need extra rack for percolator.
Laundry room sinks to be kept clear.
Rooms need painting.

STONY POINT (USPC), Nov. 24-
Chairman, L. Akins; Secretary, D.
Fisher, Report on smoking on deck.
Oiler missed ship. New delegate
elected and new treasurer. Discus­
sion on subsistence: engine room gang
shifting into watch foc'sles; new wash­
ing mactiine: ship's fimd. Repair list
to be drawn up. '

YuiePals

Neither man nor beast miss­
ed yuletide cheer on the
SS Mae last Xmas. Ship's
mascot "Stiitky" had his
own tree and decorations
plus plenty of extra holiday

' fare. Steward Joe Shea
(right) took care of that.
Reporter Chuck Hostetter
sent in the picture.

Sickness Dogs Nintet ^
But Crew Meets Test

A mi(i-s%a race to catch up with an Army transport so a _
seriously ill shipmate coulii get right back to the States.!
helped liven things recently on the Ocean. Nimet, already j
beset by a variety of other-t

I

^ ^ I

-1

'• 'rA
'-'h

' -Ml ' ^1

ills among the crew?
The mercy mission paid off

three (Jays later, accor(Jing to L. B.
Bryant Jr., engine (Jelegate, when
the transport E. D. Patrick reached
San Francisco and deck engineer
Arthur Fortner was rushed right to
the hospital. Earlier, before the two
ships met, the radio operator had
vainlj^ried to contact help when
emergency aid on the Nimet failed
to rdlieve Fortner's pain. Doctors
in Japan had diagnosed the case as
bladder trouble, but eventually
even morphine did no good.

Lifeboat Transfer
"It was a comfort to all of us

when the Patrick's lifeboat came
alongside for him so that he could
be rushed to proper care."

The Nimet arrived later, in time
for payoff and. transfer to foreign-

'Windy' Still Stirs Up
Storm Aboard Pennmar

Some Broadway huckster with a "two bits-a-peek" telescope
could make a quick fortqne riding the Calmar fleet. He
could do it on the Pennmar, for sure, according to Okal Jones,
deck engineer. —

Jones, like many a veteran
sailor, feels that all this "tradi­
tional" stuff about saluting a sister
ship when she passes in view is a
lot of hokum, but sometimes it
pays off. The thought of the cap­
tains on two ships standing at at­
tention, with their bosuns dipping
"Old Glory" and whistles blasting
away is alright by Itself,

What bothers Jones is that if he
had one of those "peek-a-boo"
telescopes or periscopes to give
everybody who wants one a look-
see at the other ship passing in
view, "it would be as good as a
weel^end's OT."

Excellent View
The view through the glass, it

develops, would now and then pre­
sent the visage of that well-known
Calmar skipper, Capt, "Windy"
Gale, who had been master of the
Pennmar for a number of years.
Jones served under him seven
years ago and obviously hasn't re­
covered yet. "Windy" has that
effect on the boys, so they can be
pardoned their exhuberance.

As it was, Jones only had a pair
of binoculars that everybody was
trying to get a chance at, and he
got crushed in the rush. Whether
Elvis or Marilyn would be "also-
rans" in competition with "Capt

Windy" is another question alto­
gether. Gale hasn't come up against
that kind of competition yet, and
until he does, he gives the gang
enough of a charge to break the
monotony of an otherwise routine
trip.

flag operations, "another good US|
ship gone down -the 'drain."

Actually, what was otherwise a
smooth, clear trip
was naarred only
by illnesses
among the crew
and officers, and
the need for
makeshift man-
nin'g arrange­
ments.

After the chief
mate was hospi­
talized earlier in
Miiroran, Japan,
moved up one notch, bosun Fred­
die Burrus became 3rd mat*
and Eddie Frye, DM, took on
the bosun's chores, "Through It
all," said Bryant, "with full co­
operation from everyone, they did
a fine job. Everyone readily agrees
the deck gang was tops, and ship's
delegate Johnson deserves a big
hand as well."

The black gang wasn't neglepted
in the sickness department either.
N. Rogers, 8-12 oiler, was retired
from duty early in the trip, fol­
lowed by Wayne Murphy, 2nd cook
and baker. Fortunately, the mates
displayed more than ample first
aid knowledge and a ready skill at
inserting needles whenever needed.

In turn, James Wilson, wiper,
was promoted to oiler. Chief cook
Whitey Mack and Vic the 3i'd cook
wound up as the only two in the
galley but also came through in
high style. "It was a jury-rigged
trip all the way, but all hands met
the test," Bryant commented.

It Rates A Blue RIbben, Anyway

nMowi.
xotHEWS

It won't win any art prizes, but a careful, steady hand shows
up when you're perched on a ladder trying to decorate the
staclc. Tom Ulisse took tbe photo on the Flomar, one of the
"C" for Calmar interccastal runs. The unnamed artist was
the ship's delegate a few trips back.

Burly By Bernard Seaman

LOOi^A ALL
THAT WAI^iZ
Moer MILLIO<^
>J'MlLUCPA/5 'Al'

OF
L GAUPlpl^



Pa^e Fourteen SEAFARERS LOG February 1, 195*

m'

Will France Nix Ooh-la-la Next?
The traditional land of wine, women -and song, France is getting mighty tame. It was

under ex-Premier Mendes-France that milk-drinking became a laudable virtue not long ago.
Now it's a pretty good place

"For the first time any­
where, to our knowledge,"
Seafarer John McElroy, chief
steward on the Rayvah, writes,
each crewmember was required to
turn in ail but one box of matches.

This is a new
gimmick, another
excuse for ex­
tracting dollars
through fines
from .American
seamen. Matches
are cheap and
plentiful in this
country."

McEiroy e n -
closed a notice to

ship captains informing them that
the crew must declare cigars, ciga­
rettes and matches in excess of the
200 cigarettes allowed each man.
Further, crewmembers taking more
than two packs of cigarettes and
matches ashore are warned they
are subject to heavy fines and con­
fiscation.

o visit, provided you don't smoke.

character—^female—"spends most
of her time on American ships. . ..
This babe is said to be a customs
informer, her method being to
snoop around lockers while 'visit­
ing' rooms and to spot that extra

carton of cigarettes. The customs
boys return on the heels of her de­
parture and know exactly where to
look.

".She must be run off a ship sev­
eral times before she will stay off.'

Giving The Boys The Bird

McEIroy

"Moreover," the notice reads,
"all members of the crew should
be advised that there are a num­
ber pf customs officers in civilian
dress scattered over the chief bars
in the city who are likely to try
and induce them to sell some ciga-
gettes. ..."

That isn^t all either, McElroy
says. A well-known waterfront

Planet Finds
Excitement
TheHard Way

"It goes without saying that
the Persian Gulf shuttle is
about the dullest run that we
have," says B. Padgett on the Orion
Planet, "but it seems that just
when things seem impossible some­
thing comes along to break the
monotony."

They had to ram a Japanese fish­
ing boat and rescue all hands to
do it, though.

The mishap was discovered one
day south of Yokohama, when the
bosun and crew messman heard
some loud screaming and looked
out the porthole in time to see the
mast of a fishing boat passing
alongside. They soon found that
the mast was attached to one sec­
tion of the boat and another was
drifting away. "The mate on
watch was unaware that we had
even hit anything. As is custom­
ary on tankers, the helmsman was
working (shining brass) and had
not been in a position to keep a
lookout. The 2nd mate had just
left the bridge."

All ends Well, however. The
fishermen showed their thanks by
providing a freshly caught 60-
pound tuna for supper before their
boat went down for tlie last time.

Cooks on the Longyiew Victory give the birds the onceover
before they were trotted out for New Year's dinner at sea.
Turkey, roast beef and all the trimmings were prepared by
Smoky Shreiner (front), chief cook-and ex-charter member
of the SlU now sailing again, and Pete Morreale, 3rd cook.
Photo by Tony Nottage, electrician.

USPHS HOSPITAI,
BALTIMORE. MD.

Donald AveriU
Roy W. Bell
Kermit Bymaster
Victor B. Cooper
Arthur Cornman
Thomas D. Dailey

Herman Kemp
Joseph Lewis
Gettis Lightfoot
Francisco Mayo
John A. Morris
John Ossmow

E. J. DeBardelaben Wm. E. Roberts
George StambiUs
Ernest H. Webb
Elmer Wheeler
Francis Wherrity
WUmer C. White

Lysle Feurtade
Gorman T. Glaze
Archie B. HaU
Fred Holmes
Edward Huizenga
Earley Joyner

MONTEBELLO
CHRONIC DISEASE HOSPITAL

BALTIMORE. MD.
Francisco Bueno

USPHS HOSPITAL
FORT WORTH, TEXAS

Morris J. Black Siegfried Gnittke
Benjamin Deibler John C. Palmer
Samuel Glove Rosendo Serrano

USPHS HOSPITAL
MEMPHIS. TENN.

Claude F. Blanks
VA HOSPITAL

ALBERQUEROUE. NM
Charles Burton

SUFFOLK SANITORIUM .
HOLTSVILLE. LI, NY

E. T. Cunningham
USPHS HOSPITAL

NEW'ORLEANS. LA.
Herman Carson
Cloise' Coats
Donald Dambrino
Serio M. DeSosa
Leroy Donald
Chas. A. Dorrough
William Driscoll
Atomane Elchuk
Charles Fetter
Arnie Glasscock
Leon Gordon
Clarence Graham

Herbert Grant
Horace Gray
Clarence Hafner
WUliam Havelln
Martin Kelly
Edward G. Knapp
Leo H. Lang
Samuel Langham
Duska Korolia
Karl Larsen
William Lawless
R. E. McLamore

: Editor, ' :
I SEAFARERS LOG, \
! 675 Fourth Ave., !
i Brooklyn 32, NY S
[ I would like to receive the SEAFARERS LOG— |
S please put my name on your mailing list. !
I (Print Information) *

i NAME •
j STREET ADDRESS ............

I CITY ZONE STATE :
• TO AVOID DUPLICATION: If you are an old subscriber and have a change {
a of address, please give your former address belowi •

ADDRESS

; CITY
5.......

ZONE STATl..

Alois F. Mauffray
Michael Muzio
Eddie Perry
Veikko Follanen
Junest P. Ponson
Lynn G. Powers
Randolph RatcUK
F. Regalado

Wade H. Sexton
Toefil Smigielskl
Lonnie R. Tickle
Luciano Torihlo
Dirk Visser
James E. Ward
D. G. Zerrudo
Jacob Zimmer

ST. VINCENT'S HOSPITAL
NEW YORK. NY

Loyd McGee
USrilS HOSPITAL

STATEN ISLAND. NY
Fortunato Alfonso C. T. Morrison
Henry A, Anderson C. Osinskl
Dollah Ben
Julin Blomgren
James K. Catm
Louis Corne
Newton Edrington
James H. Fisher
Ramon Galarza
EsteU Godfrey
Alfred Kaju
William Luhreen
A. Lykiardopoulos
Franciszeh Mietki

Robert Parker
Adolfo Rodrigues
Jose Rodriguez
Stanley C. Scott
James Sealey
Andrew J. Snider
C. M. St. Clair
C. Sundquist
John B. Tierney
Dominick Trevisano
Wm. R. WiUiams
Daniel WUson

USPHS HOSPITAL
MANHATTAN BEACH

BROOKLYN. NY
Manuel Antonana - Archibald McGuigan
Eiadio Aris
Fortunato Bacomo
Frank T. CampbeU
Harry J. Cronin

H. F. MacDonald
Michael Machusky
Benjamin Martin
Albert MartineUi

Robert M. Douglas Vic Milazzo
John J. DriscoU Joseph B. Murphy
Robert E. Gilbert
William Guenther
Bart E. Guranick
Howard Hailey
Taib Hassen
Billy R. HiU
Thomas Isaksen
Ira H. Kilgore

W. P. O'Dea
George G. Phlfer
James M. Quinn
George E. Renale
G. E. Shumaker
Kevin Skelly
Henry E. Smith
Stanley Sokol

Ludwig Kristiansen Michael Toth
Karl Treimann
Harry S. Tuttle
Fred West
VirgU E. WUmoth
Pon P. Wing

SA

Frank J. Kubek
Frederick Landry
Karrel Leetmaa
Leonard Leidig
Anthony D. Leva
Joseph D. "McGraw

;SPHS HOSPITAL
IAVANNAH. GA. ^

Albert Birt Jimmie Littleton
S. N. Hurst Theodore Smith

USPHS HOSPITAL
SAN FRANCISCO. CALIF.

Orville E. Abrams Joseph GUI
WiUiam Adams Herbert P. Knowles
Marcelo B. Belen Joseph C. Marso
Arthur J. Fortner Albert M. Morse
Robert A. Gannon ''-Fred D. Stagner

USPHS HOSPITAL
NORFOLK. VA.

Francis J. Boner Earl C. GUbert
Earl Con^eton Willis N. Gregory
qhas. W. Crafford MarshaU G. Shankle

. USPHS HOSPITAL
SEATTLE. WASH.

L. Bosley Frank Schembri'
D. K. CampbeU L. Twite
A. W. Canter ..

USPHS HOSPITAL
GALVESTON. TEXAS

Walter Craven Concepcion Mejia
USPHS HOSPITAL
BOSTON. MASS.

J. L. Bourgeois Alfred Hancock
Clarence Crevler John T. Keegan
T. J. DriscoU George A. WeddeU
Charles Dwyer

Pleasant Trip
Cheers Dei Mar
To the Editor:

I can assure you that I never
read a more truthful statement
than the letter in the LOG (Dec.
21, 1956) concerning the 1st as­
sistant engineer aboard the SS
Del Mar. It really described
the guy to a "T".

We are just completing voy­
age No. 64 and the "Old Boy" is
back again, but I must say this
has been a pretty smooth trip.
We only have a few hours of dis-

letters To
The Editor

All letters to the editor for
publication in the SEAFAR­
ERS LOG must he signed
by the writer. Names will
be vnthheld upon request.

puted overtime, and no beefs—
thanks to that letter in the LOG.
I think that it had a great deal
to do with the fact that this
has been-a pleasant trip.

Still it will take a lot more
than one trip before the guy
can prove to the many men
who have worked hboard this
ship in the past eight years that
he is the kind of 1st assistant
that he would like us to believe
he is.

He has made a few trips the
same as this one on several oc­
casions, only to turn around the
next trip and become his old
self again by treating the gang
like a bunch of animals instead
of human beings.

I hope these letters will con­
tinue to be printed in the LOG,
as I think they may help to keep
his kind in line.

Louis P. Anderson
it i"

Here's Biiiie,
Uncle Bill
To the Editor:

I have an uncle who sails
on your SIU
ships whom I
am anxious to
hear from.

I receive the'
LOG and en-
joy it very
much. I am
always expect-
ing to see
something In
the 'paper

about my Uncle Bill, because I.
haven't heard from hita in a
very long while.

I am nine years old and would
like very much to have my pic­
ture in the SEAFARER'S LOG
because I know Uncle Bill reads
it all the time. It was taken
when I made my first Holy Com­
munion.

I also want him to know I got
a baby brother in October.
Thank you very much. 1 hope
we hear from my uncle very
soon.

Billie Ryan
Renews, Newfoundland

t> i)
Orphans Thank
SS Wild Ranger
To the Editor:

We regret to Inform you that
our orphanage in Pusan, Korea,
has beert suffering lately from
a lack of financial support. For
nearly two years we have 'been
accomodating 295 orphans. In­
cluding "abtfut 12 GI'babies, so
the port security office in charge
of this section investigated the
orphanage fully before they per­
mitted us to solicit any dona­
tions. •

We were Very fortunate- In

meeting the SS Wild Ranger
among the American merchant i
ships we visited in the Port of:
Pusan. We are much obUged :
to that ship's officers and crew-
members for their concern about
our orphanage. We will never
forget these gentlemen for their
generous contribution.

Please express our thanks to
all of them, especially the cap­
tain and chief steward (Don
Ruddy—Ed.) who were so in­
terested in saying the poor
children. We hope they come
back here so we can thank
them again.

We all pray for their good
health and smooths sailing.

Kyong Nom Orphanage
Pusan, Korea

5) i. t
Spirit On Alcoa
Pioneer Lauded
To the Editor:

As tlfe wife of an SIU mem­
ber, I would like to express my
thanks to a great Union.

I first began reading the LOG
six years ago, and was very
much impressed with its pro­
gressive ways. Since then, I
have followed with great inter­
est the constant progress this
fine Union has made. It has
provided a higher standard of
living for all its men, with bet­
ter wages and the greatest bene­
fits ever known for him and his
family. I know of no other un­
ion that can top the SIU and
Its wonderful leadership. . ^

The so-called "SIU Family Al­
bum" in the-'LOG is a step in
the right direction, too. It gives
you a proud, warm glow of be­
longing, and is a joy to see.

My dear htisband felt this
warmth and belonging during a
recent, illness. He said every­
body treated him as nice as <if
they were his own family. This
is a wonderful comfort to us at
home when our loved one sud­
denly gets ill while out on a
trip.

For this reason, I'd like to ex­
press my heartiest thanks and
gratitude to all the men on the
Alcoa Pioneer who were so help­
ful and kind to my husband.
May God bless them all.

Mrs. James E. Guy
it it

Ashore, Still
Keeps In Touch
To the Editor:

Although I expect to ba
ashore for awhile and shall be
temporarily away from the sea,
I would still greatly enjoy keepr
ing track of old shipmates and '
Union advancements.

I've run into some people who
get the NMU "Pilot" and it's
discouraging that I don't re­
ceive the LOG to back up my
statements concerning the many
advantages of the BIU.

Having tasted the proof of the
pudding, I shall always remem­
ber the wonderful unity enjoyed
by our brothers. It's a great
feeling to have a Union behind
you, which will back its mem­
bers and always seek better con­
ditions for them, Wfe never ex­
isted solely on propaganda or
illusions. Keep up the good
work.

Charles R. Garrison
i. t

SIU Welfare Aid
Lauded By Wife
To the Editor:

• My sincere thanks to the SIU
for the benefits given me
through the Welfare Plan dur­
ing my recent hospitalization.

The SIU is indeed a splendid
organization and is run very ef­
ficiently, certainly deserving co­
operation and appreciation from'
its members and their fdmiUes.

Mrs. Gorham M. Bowdre



eP'S •

February 1, 1961 SEAF ARERS LOG Pagre Fifteen

LuHdeberg's Legacy :
Fkiurishiiig Union

(Continued from page 3)
= lng hall. Their victory stirred a
new burst of ynipn enthusiasm

: among seamen on the Atlantic and
Gulf, many of whom wanted no
part of the newly-formed National
Maritime Union.

At the same time, Lundeberg's
independent action on behalf of
seamen earned him enmity fronii
another quarter, the ISU, and the
SUP was expelled. Other seagoing
affiliates also drifted away from
the ISU, leaving a tremendous void
which the death of Furuseth on
January 24, 1938, opened wider.

Finally, Lundeberg persuaded
the American Federation of Labor
convention at Houston that Octo­
ber to issue a new charter cover­
ing seamen and allied crafts, and
the SIUNA was bom. SUP or­
ganizers were sent out to help the
fledgling, and separate Atlantic and

-Gulf Districts were established
with headquarters in New York
and New Orleans. 'By 1941, they
amalgamated into one district.

Fought US Contmls
During the war years, Lunde­

berg fought attempts by US agen­
cies to clamp iron-fisted controls
on merchant seamen and perpetu-,
ate their rule over hiring. These
efforts were climaxed by the post­
war 1946 general strike when the
Wage Stabilization Board refused
to approve an SUP agreement
which embodied higher benefits
than the CIO unions had gained
earlier. Within a week, the sailors
had their increase.

Through it all, Lundeberg was
engaged in a running battle, with
Bridges, the waterfront CP and
the NMU to preserve the sailors'
jurisdiction. On one memorable
occasion, he was on the Spot when
an NMU-Bridges squad tried to
storm a sailors' picketline. In the
ensuing fracas, someone hit' him
with a cloth-wrapped pipe, break­
ing his jaw. Only after the last in­
vader had gone did he dust him-
eelf off and go for treatment.
T.undeberg didn't wailt them to
have the satisfaction , of knowing
hr had really been hurt.

His fight against the waterfront
Communists was highlighted two
years ago by a 4-1 victory-in a Na­
tional Labor Relations Board elec­
tion. in which his sailors, the
marine firemen and a new anti-
Communist cooks and stewards un­
ion gave Bridges the worst drub­
bing of his career. The victory
clia.sed the last remnants of Com­
munist-dominated unionism off
West Coast ships.

In 1950 he opened his spanking
new headquarters in San Francisco,
touching off a building boom which
has provided modem halls and su­
perior comforts for his member­
ship.

Nixed Cabinet Post
A friend of Governors, Senators,

shipping tycoons and the Vice
President of the United States,
Lundeberg turned down a chance
to become Secretary of Labor in
the first Eisenhower cabinet. He
didn't want to cut off his ties with
the sailors by moving into the rari-
fied atmosphere in Washington.

Forever tie-less, with an open-
collared shirt and the familiar
"Lundeberg Stetson" on his head,
he never forgot he was a sailor.
When he wanted-to visit his fam­
ily in Norway after 30 years, the
SUP voted him full expenses there
and back in 1947. But Lundeberg
had other ideas, and shipped as an
AB on the SS Marine Jumper. He
worked'his passage both ways and
returned the Union's funds to the
treasury.
i Lundeberg had another rare dis­
tinction when a, successful SUP

drive against a Pan«manian-flag
ship produced the first American
union agreement on a foreign-flag
vessel. The ship was renamed the
SS Harry Lundeberg, and he never
missed a chance to make conditions
on it the best ever seen. His last
major beef was in the same field,
when-the sailors won an agreement
on the runaway SS Duncan Bay
last September after 12 days of
picketing.

SlU Mourns
Lundeberg

(Conlinued from page 3)
Seamenis Act. Lundeberg's was his
leadership-in winning the greatest
economic benefits seamen %ave en­
joyed anywhere at any time. Un­
der Lundeberg, thb SUP set the
pace for the entire'industry. ,

"His contribution is all the more
remarkable in light of the fact that
he often faced the fiercest kind of
opposition from many quarters, in
eluding the bitter enmity of the
Communist Party. Lundeberg was
the one single force on the West
Coast which kept the Party from
winning complete domination of
the entire West Coast maritime la­
bor movement. Not only did he
defeat their bid, but he subse­
quently destroyed their apparatus
on West Coast ships and reduced
them to impotence."

Stood Alone Against Soviet
Similar views were expressed by

C. J. Haggerty, secretary of the
California Federation of Labor.
"There was a time when he alone
stood between the nation and So­
viet power in American waters,"
Haggerty declared. "He had two
great and consuming interests in
life; his family and the Sailors
Union of the Pacific."

Funeral services for Lundeberg
were held Thursday afternoon, at­
tended by hundreds of seamen,
friends, and public leaders. Burial
was in Olivet Memorial Park, Col-
ma, Calif..

Lundeberg is survived by his
wife, Ida, and three children: Gun-
nar, 9; Allette, 6, and Erik, 2. He
lived in nearby Burlingame.

File Answer
ToCurrdn

(Continued from page 2)
winning west coast longshoremen
back into organized labor.

"How did Curran meet that chal­
lenge: He walked away and left It,
leaving Harry Bridges more solidly
entrenched than ever.

"In that same year, the CIO ex­
pelled the Communist - dominated
National Union of Marine Cooks
and Stewards. Curran had the first
crack here too. He made some
feeble, half-hearted gestures at
handling the situation, but when
he realized he needed, in his own
phrase, 'more brains and guts* to
meet the problem head on, he
walked away and left it.

"That left the SIU of North
America to tackle the problem
single-handed. The SIU of North
America fought this fight for five
yeai-s, and in the end it won—com­
pletely and overwhelmingly. To­
day, instead of a Commimist-dom-
inated organization on United
States ships, we have the Marine
Cooks .arid Stewards,. AFL-CIO,
thoroughly supporting the princi­
ples of; Ofgapized. labor."

.'.•f' '-T-j*.* a.

t
I
1

;

WittL

"Getting along fine
for an old man nearly
72." Tampa's Nick
Giosue has "much to
be thankful for."

Tampan Francisco Del-
gado is still under
doctors' care, but is
"getting used to the
fdei jea by now.'

Trying the cure of the-
sulphur waters in Flor­
ida right now, James
"Blackie" Mason is
from NO.

Sam Knuckles of NO,
a 46-year sea veteran,
"will never forget
what-SlU has meant to
me."

Dogged by sickness,
Wm. K. Tobin of New
York Cify in back in
the Staten Island ma~^
rine hospital.

Just turned 70. Wil­
liam E. Lake of Boston
"is proud of SlU's con­
tinuous progress for
all seamen."

"Best step I ever took
came when I walked
into SIU hall on Stone
St." says Ben Trottie
of NYC.

"Its good to know
you're not forgotten,"
says oldtimer Bernard
Roll, 80, in Seattle,
Wash.

"It makes a men
proud to be part of
our great SIU. It's
nice we're not forgot­
ten," " says Brooklyn's
Ben Bailey.

Robert L. Butler, down
in Carriere, Miss.,
sends thanks "for'
helping to balance the
budget!"

Ernest Trotman's big­
gest wish is "greater
progress for SIU in
years to come.." He
lives in NYC.

Pete Henderson, in
Mobile, says SIU
benefits "certainly
warm my old heart.
Thanks, all."

Prichard, Ala. is home
for Cyril Lowery "but
my heart's out there
with my brothers at
sea.

(The brothers above are among those receiving SIU disability benefits.)



\

SiEAFARERS LOG
• OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE SEAFARERS INTERNATIONAL UNION * ATLANTIC AND GULF DISTRICT • AFL.CIO

Europe Ships Get
Tourist Class $$
As US Go's Doze

Predictions of record transatlantic passenger busi­
ness in 1957 coupled with news of four new foreign
ships in this service highlight a glaring inadequacy of
the American merchant marine. The Trans-Atlantic
Passenger Conference, reviewing 1956, has declared
that "nearly every one of our 25 member lines reported that
during the peak of the 'high season' they could be carrying
at least two to three times as many passengers if they had
the ships to accommodate them
But despite that glowing estimate,
there are, at present, only four
US-flag passenger ships in the
transatlantic trade and these are
outmoded three-class vessels un-
suited to the demands of the pres­
ent market. Four other combina­
tion ships, American Export's "four
aces," carry only 123 passengers
each.

Consequently, the potentially lu­
crative travel business is going by
default to European operators with
US operators planning to continue
services in the same antiquated
groove. The one apparent bright
spot in the picture is the proposal
for a tourist-class ship now being
developed by Arnold Bernstein
which, if run as advertised, would
tend to .conform with present-day
demands.

The picture in the transatlantic
trade shapes up this way:

• There is a vast market which
is not being tapped by US shipping.

• European operators are tap­
ping this market by offering com­
fortable tourist-class facilities to
budget-conscious Americans.
• The trend toward longer va­

cations and rising living stand­
ards promises to increase the
business in the long run.

• In the face of this, US opera­
tors persist in clinging to the total­
ly outmoded concept of the three-
class super-ship, a hangover from
the 1920's.

There is no question that the
travel pattern is Changing. The
biggest demand for space, accord­
ing to the Trans-Atlantic Confer­
ence, is in tourist class where
there are never enough accommo­
dations. The majority of Amer­
icans who would like to travel
abroad are uninterested in whether
the ship has a wine steward.
What they want is a clean, com­
fortable, two or three bed cabin, a
private bath and access to all rec­
reational and entertainment facili­
ties on the ship.

Discussing this development, a
spokesman for one of the foreign
operators told the LOG:

"Most American travelers today
are professionals or others who are
pretty well off but not wealthy.
They want comfort like air-condi­
tioning and outside * rooms and
above all, they want a private bath
and toilet. They want a nice
lounge, swimming pool and all the
rest, but they don't want to pay the
fancy price for first-class luxury..

"We give them all that on our
ships.

"We have a limited number of
first-class accommodations, because
there will always be these who in-,
sist on it. But most of our ac­
commodations are tourist class.

"When our latest ship came in,
and we enteftained the press and
travel agents, the,' were amazed to
see what is called tojirist class to­
day. It's not like it was years ago.

Living standards have risen and
today's tourist class traveler de­
mands more than yesterday's."

The "three-class" ship, like. Jts
European counterpart, the "three-
class" railway car, is an outgrowth
of a class society in which aristo­
crats and other "social betters"
were "protected" from contact with
the rest of the population. Today,
of course, anybody who has the
moolah can crash the first class set,
so the social meaning of the di­
vision has disappeared ekcept for
movie actress and business tycoons
on the expense account who can't
be caught dead saving money.

In terms of comfort if not in
luxury services, the upgrading of
the tourist ship has made every­
body a "first-class" passenger.

One Big Difference
There is one important differ­

ence between the old and new pas­
senger ship. The "three class"
ship is an economic extravagence.
It's tourist class is far inferior; it's
first class far too expensive. One
reason is the costly and meaning­
less duplication of facilities, with
locked doors and "do not enter"
signs excluding many passengers
from mingling with the elite. The
set-up is discouraging to Americans
who are accustomed to having the
run of a facility. After all, whether
they ride coach, Pullman berth or
roomette, they all use the same din­
ing car on a railroad. Not so on a
"three class" ship.

A typical "three class" ship has
a "three pot" system to go with it.
One pot is the first and cabin class
galley with separate dining rooms
on each side. Then there is the
tourist galley with a separate
menu and separate dining room.
Finally there is a crew- galley.
Each set-up means different staffs,
china, silverware, kitchen utensils,
food storage and other costly dup­
lications.

The set-up - also meany three
lounges, three ballrooms; three
bars, and different deck areas.
The tourist class usually sits in
the balcony of the motion picture
theatre. If there is one swimming
pool, the tourists can splash only
at certain specified hours. The
same goes for the gym.

It costs more to build such a
partitioned-off ship and it costs
more to run it. Actually, the well-
to-do first class passenger reaps
most of the benefit of US subsidy
in the form of space, service and
facilities at the partial expense of
the US taxpayer.

Even your "three-class" ship
operator regards the whole situa­
tion with tongue In cheek. If there
are plenty of reservations for first
class and not so many for cabin,
a few doors are opened and others
closed off, stencils are changed aud
presto—cabin class berths sud­
denly become "first-class." The
passenger involved doesn't know it

Holland-America's Statendem (below)
coming out soon will have 800 tourist
berths, {ust 69 first class. At top are tourist
dining room on Bergensfjord (Norwegian-
American) and tourist bar on Ryndam
(Holland-Amer.) showing typical facilities
on tourist-type ships.

but all he is getting for his extra
money is a.label. It's something
like put^ng a Cadillac emblem on
a Chevy.

Crew-wise of course, the three-
class ship is staffed more heavily
than the one-class operation, with
close to one crewmember for every
passenger aboard. Much of the
excess consists of assorted crafts
of a non-maritime nature—kennel
attendants to take Care of first-
class passenger's dogs, recreation
and social leaders to "organize"
passengers and keep them happy,
instructors in various games and
sports, musicians, numerous kitch­
en specialists to supply elaborate
menus (seasick or not, the passen­
gers pay),' plus an assortment of
personal service flunkies heavily
concentrated in first class.

Offhand it might look like this
means more jobs. It does, but only
for non-seamen, plus the fact that
these ships, as uneconomical luxury
showpieces, limit job opportunities.
Where there are now four such
ships, there could be a dozen de­
signed to meet travel needs of the
majority without frills. The dozen
ships would supply far more em­
ployment for professional seamen,
although they would not be
mannCd so heavily in the miscel­
laneous categories.'

Sincd' all US passenger ships are
subsidized, the question is which
type is more suitable from the
Government's view. There are
two reasons given for" such subsi­
dies. One, that they maintain US
flag service -on essential trade
routes, second that they provide

accommodations for Jiigh speed
troop movements In aiTemergency.

Obviously, addition of more ships
in the tourist category answers the
Government's needs better than a"'
very limited number of super-
liners. In World War II, in fact,
the US had to depend heavily on
the Cunard Line to move US
troops. Putting more ships on the
water also reduces the risk of loss.

European operators, who origi­
nated the "three class" !ship, are
now rapidly abandoning it. Ships
like the Bergensfjord, Stockholm,
Kungsholm, Gripsholm, Ryndam
and Statendam carry the bulk of
their passengers in tourist with
first class accommodations as low
as 40 berths.

Air-conditioned accommodations,
outside rooms and private bath are
standard. While first-class has a
small separate dining room, one
galley serves all and the menus are
virtually identical. All other ship­
board facilities are open to every­
body.

These ships are being built to
serve the American Inarket. The
Americans like It that way and are
making that mode of operation a
profitable one.

American operators and the US
Government are overlooking a
tremendous shipping potential
when they neglect the huge seg­
ment of the population, which alsQ
has the money and the desire to
take a European vacation.

House Body Studies
US Shipping Set-Up

WASHINGTON—The House Merchant Marine Committee
has formally adopted an agenda involving broad investigation
of all phases of US maritime policy. Chairman Herbert Bon­
ner reported that the commit--^
tee will explore at least seven
major subjects including
tramp shipping, foreign flag trans­
fers, aid to presently-unsubsidized
companies, trade-in programs and
reserve fleet policies.

Bonner's announcement follows
the statement by Senator Warren
Magnuson, chairman of the Senate
Interstate and Foreign Commerce
Committee, that his body will look

into all phases of the operation tf
the 1936 Merchant Marine Act.

The Senate committee chairman
has already appointed a sub-com­
mittee of five to deal with mari­
time questions. The sub-committee
consists of John O. Pastore (Dem.,
RI); William A. Blkkely (Dem.,
Tbx.); John M. Butler (Rep., Md.)
and Norris Cotton (Rep., NH.) as
well as the chairman.

f '