STRIKE TIES UP 700 U.S. SHIPS

Northern Advocate, 17 June 1947, Page 5

STRIKE TIES UP 700 U.S. SHIPS

(Received 12.45 p.si.) NEW YORK, June 16. NEARLY 700 Ships were tied up in United States ports today as a result of the National Maritime Union’s stoppage under the “no contract no work’’ policy. The National Maritime Union president (Mr Joseph Curran) predicted that 1150 ships would be affected in a few days, and, if negotiations with tankers failed, the total of idle ships would exceed 2000.

A spokesman for relief shipment? to Europe told Reuters that the stoppage had come at an extremely tough period, and might be very serious it prolonged.

the food situation in the western zones of Germany would be seriously affected and France and Italy likewise would suffer because their stocks are th-"> lowest, of all.

It is pointed out that the first supplies from America’s record-breaking grain crop now are beginning to move from the farms; therefore, any dislocation now might cause rail and port bottlenecks and choked storage points for several months.

A prolonged shipping strike would destroy all chances of Britain getting any coal from the United States before winter begins. The European coal organisation recently ruled that Britain’s chances ol receiving GOO.OOO tons of American coal in the third quarter would depend .upon coal exports to Europe being pushed up to exceed 3,000,000 tons monthly in an attempt to fill Europe's coal bins before heavy winter demands set in.

A spokesman for the British food mission said the strike was unlikely to have any direct effect on the United Kingdom food position since American supplies now were small but