Battling Negroes Delay Of U.&. Transport

Northern Advocate, 26 August 1946, Page 5

Battling Negroes Delay Of U.&. Transport

Fights between negro members of the crew of the United States transport Marine Falcon delayed her departure last night for an hour and a half. While more than 2000 friends and relatives of passengers stood on the wharf, the negroes fought on the crowded decks and in the mess hall. Police and United States provosts had to be called aboard the ship to quell the disturbances. The ship is carrying 774 passengers, including 72 Australian brides and 150 fiancees of American servicemen. The dispute between the negroes developed on the wharf when one negro refused to leave a white girl. He struggled with two shipmates as they dragged him to the ship’s side. Gangways were raised, so the men tied a rope around his waist and hauled him aboard. WOMAN KNOCKS MAN DOWN „ Before he disappeared he was fighting among the passengers at the rail.

(Rec. 11.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day

Another negro stripped to the waist appeared on the deck and, picking up a passenger's child, kissed it. When the passenger remonstrated, another fight broke out. White girls embraced negroes leaning from the portholes and in a lull a white woman on the wharf diverted the interest of the crowd by knocking to the ground a man she alleged had insulted her.

Before the arrival of the police negroes were using table knives in a brawl on the mess deck.

The ship eventually cleared Sydney at 1.40 a.m. today. An inspection of the ship during the week-end following complaints by passengers resulted in a verdict favourable to the ship. The great majority of the passengers expressed Themselves as satisfied. There were only six cancellations of passages to San Francisco, of which four were made because of sickness.