A Good Time Kills Careless Talk in New York

Camp News, Volume 3, Issue 153, 18 December 1942, Page 3

A Good Time Kills Careless Talk in New York

(From the “Daily Mirror,” London.) Non-stop hospitality to British seamen arriving in New York is part of America’s campaign to combat the Battle of the Atlantic. A •Careless talkdangerous ally of the U-boat menaceis being prevented by continuous entertainment, starting immediately the crew of a ship step ashore and ceasing only when their vessel steams away. The thoroughness of this novel way of fighting a war-time danger which hitherto has been attacked bnly by means of warning posters, was described to me recently by a seaman just back from an Atlantic crossing.

“As we docked in New York,” he said, “members of the various seamen’s organisations in the City waited to welcome us as we stepped ashore.

“Accustomed to entertainment in all parts of the world, I have never previously encountered anything like the round of pleasure and generosity that now awaits the seaman visiting America.

“Before we had been ashore one minute we were offered a programme of social engagements, outings and dates which took account of neither time nor money

“ ‘Before you decide how you are going to spend your stay with us, you had better eat,’ said one of our American friends.

“In a fleet of cars we were driven to New York’s Seamen’s Mission — which must be the finest building of its kind in the world.

“Modelled on the lines of Broadway’s leading hotels, the Mission is even provided with its own cinema.

“After a meal there, we were taken to the heart of New York to say ‘Hello’ to Jack Dempsey, now owner of one of the city’s largest and finest cafe-bars.

“During our high-speed, non-stop round of pleasure and entertainment, which even at 6 a.m. —ten hours after we had come ashore—showed no signs of a break, there were only occasional reminders of the war and the dangers we had faced not very long ago.

“ ‘Speak to no one unless we are with you,’ our guides warned us. “Careless talk is probably more dangerous in New York than in any other place in the world, and the hospitality we were enjoying is one of America’s ways of defeating the U-boats that lie lurking not far from the dimly-lighted Statue of Liberty.

“I was in New York for six days. I would need to be there as many months to sample all the pleasures offered to the visiting seamen.

“Even then, there would be something in the programme I should probably miss.

“In addition to the attractions at the Mission and the almost unending tours of New York’s sights and ‘outfits,’ hundreds of American homes throughout New York State hold open house.

“Lists of these homes have been carefully compiled by the Mission officials, and seamen guests are distributed with a view to personal likes and dislikes, age, and the knowledge of whether a seaman is married or single.

“One member of our crew was ‘adopted’ by a family living at Boston. On the day we were due to sail, we had given him up as ‘lost’ when he was driven on to the dockside in a luxurious car—the central figure in a laughing happy family

“We left the gaiety of New York to face again the perils of an Atlantic voyage. Somewhere in the deep, dark waters over which we sailed, lurked the menace which has given birth to New York’s hospitality campaign. I shall not attempt to gauge the effect

of the one on the other. “Whatever the outcome, New York has already definitely captured the goodwill and admiration of the British seaman. If the campaign does no more, it will have been worth while.” '