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there were more longshoremen not working, stopping working, and making organized demands, than there had been before.

I can't remember whether previous to this time we had a committee out there holding hearings, or not, but I think we did. We had certainly Marsh, Fitzgerald and probably one or two other men from Washington out there attempting to do what they could. I don't think we had the committee presided over by McGrady until later.

At any rate, when the President went off this situation was somewhat alarming. It might develop into a serious strike. It might not. If Joe Ryan did not go out, it seemed unlikely that it would. In other words, it needed a coordinated, organized program and a rallying post to become an important, first-class strike. Some ships were sailing. Some were not. Some were held up several days at a time sometimes. The Navy was alarmed about it and the Secretary of Commerce was getting lots of complaints and lots of telegrams from employers.

At that time the Secretary of Commerce had control over the licensing of seamen. I think it has been taken out of the Commerce Department and is now in the Coast Guard in Treasury. However, that was then one of the Commerce Department's functions. As such, they were of course in touch with shipping companies who employ seamen.