MANY SHIPS IDLE IN U.S.

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21933, 6 November 1936, Page 11

MANY SHIPS IDLE IN U.S.

Owners’ Charges Of Terrorism APPEAL TO AUSTRALIAN UNIONISTS (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) (Recejved November 5, 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, November 4.

The marine strike mdved towards a climax at this port as the owners and operators made a counter-charge of terrorism against the strikers and demanded an investigation, while on the Pacific coast it was reported that the operators were settling down to four months’ idleness.

Mr John Franklin, president of the International Mercantile Marine Company, requested the prosecutor, Mr Dewey, to look into the activities of alleged communistic, centralised terrorists who were compelling the men to strike. Mr Dewey is not acting immediately, however. Mr J. Curran, who is leading the strike on the Atlantic coast in defiance of the union leaders, in replying, said that Mr Franklin’s statement was a hysterical cry for sympathy. He said the owners and also the International Seamen’s Union were guilty of terrorism. It is estimated that 326 ships are idle, resulting in a loss of 500,000 dollars daily. Of these vessels, 150 are on the Pacific coast.

Mr Harry Bridges, the unionist leader,.in San Francisco said: “There is little development. We are considering placing skeleton crews on the ships to move perishable goods. The unions are willing, but the operators are likely to refuse because they have strike breakers aboard some ships. Therefore they fear trouble.”

The joint strike committee at San Francisco has sent a cable message to' Austi'alia asking for the co-oper-ation of unions by refusing to handle cargo.