SHIPPING: Mutiny on the Algic

Seamen may strike when a ship is docked in a home port. Once the ship has sailed, to strike—or otherwise disobey captain's "lawful orders"—is mutiny. Well within their rights then were the 18 members of the tumultuous crew of the U. S. Government-owned Algic* when they "sat down" in Baltimore on the eve of sailing, lumber-laden, to South America last July. Their supplies on the dock rotted as they lounged on deck awaiting reply to an ultimatum which read:

"To the Master, S. S. Algic:

"We, the crew of the S. S. Algic, belonging to the National Maritime Union 100%, realizing that as seamen we are all interested in forming a national maritime federation and knowing that the only way we can advance the interest of the maritime workers as a whole is by working with the licensed personnel [officers] that have shown a willingness to cooperate towards the ultimate consummation of the National Maritime Federation, it is hereby resolved that we will only sail with members of the M. E. B. A. [Maritime Engineers Beneficial Association] and the M. M. P. A. [Master, Mates and Pilots Association] and if the licensed personnel [officers] do not join the organization of their calling we the unlicensed personnel [crew] will sit down at once and continue until they [the officers] are relieved.

John C. Melvin (Eng. Div.)

John Burgess (Deck)

Melvin Neilson (Steward)"

This unusual document had just been presented to slight, nervous New England Captain Joseph Gainard, Master of the Algic. To their demands astonished Captain Gainard made no reply. Then as suddenly as they had quit, the crew resumed work and the 5,500-ton, 17-year-old freighter cleared Baltimore, began its 103-day journey to South America. With the Algic sailed desertion, mutiny, death.

Before Jacksonville, Fla., the first port-of-call, was reached quarrels among the crew had alarmed the captain and his four New England mates. Ashore in the Florida port the brawls, revolving around John Burgess, a fiery Californian, continued. In a waterfront saloon Burgess drew a knife, stabbed a fellow seaman, was promptly shot and killed by a landlubber. Shipped in his place was J. Hartley, an agitator more troublesome than Burgess.

On the 5,700-mile voyage to Montevideo, Uruguay, worn Captain Gainard came down with influenza. He was ill in his bunk in that port when informed that another sit-down strike had taken place. In sympathy with a local longshoremen's strike, the Algic's crew refused to turn the winches. Too weak to handle the situation himself, Captain Gainard put through a 5,000-mile telephone call to Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Chairman of the U. S. Maritime Commission in Washington. Boss Kennedy instantly sent off a message authorizing the captain to put the ringleaders in irons.