SEAMEN’S BAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27447, 21 July 1950, Page 7

SEAMEN’S BAN

War Shipments To Korea

CONSIDERED LIFTED

NZPA —Copyright SYDNEY, July 20.

Although no announcement has been made by the union, it is now generally accepted that the ban imposed by the Federal Executive of the Seamen’s Union on the handling of war materials for Korea has been lifted. A statement by the Brisbane secretary of the union, Mr J. Connor, that the. ban was lifted secretly last week-end has not been denied. The Communist secretary of the Fremantle branch, Mr R. Hurd, said that Mr Connor’s statement was correct so far as he knew. Other union officials refused to comment. When the Federal secretary of the Seamen’s Union. Mr E. V. Elliott, w;as asked whether the ban had been lifted, he said: “All members of the union are bound by the majority decisions of the stop-work meetings held throughout Australia. These meetings declared that the Australian seamen are opposed to being plunged into this war.” He made no reference to the ban.

Commonwealth security police officers visited Seamen’s Union officers last night and questioned Mr Elliott and the Sydney branch secretary, Mr B. Smith.

Moderate leaders now believe that the unmistakably adverse vote by the seamen at their meetings last Tuesday will lead to the collapse of the proposed alliance by the seamen, watersiders and miners planned by the Communist leaders. The watersiders were definitely hostile to the seamen’s Korean ban and agreed by a large majority to load Mustang engines last week-end.

Seven influential miners’ lodges on the Northern New South Wales coalfields have now considered a circular proposing the united front with the seamen and watersiders. One lodge adopted the proposal provided it was not linked with the “ hands off Korea ” campaign. Other lodges suggested that the miners stay out of international politics.