| Show Mer Round Merry ry-Go-Ro ry un d Trade Mark By y DREW PEARSON and ROBERT ALLEN WASHINGTON WASHINGTON Behind Behind Secretary Ropers Roper's dismissal dismissal dis dis- missal of two experts on steamship inspection last week is a long iong and secret story of intrigue which goes to the roots of the Morro Castle and other tragedies of the sea Commander H. H McCoy Jones and Frederick L. L Adams both of the bureau of navigation and steamboat inspection had fought a hard-fisted hard s sometimes ruthless ba battle tle against the big shipping companies to prevent further tragedies And they were supported by J. J B. B Weaver head of the the bu bu- reau Both young both naval ex-naval officers both with independent means they had joined Ropers Roper's commerce commerce com corn merce department for the sole sale purpose of preventing prevent prevent- ing sea tragedies did not care whether they retained retained re re- re- re tamed their jobs or not Politics was the last thing they worried about Shortly after the they joined Mr Ropers Roper's organization organization organization however they found that that- politics mattered mattered mat mat- a great deal Also they began to uncover what every sea trag tragedy dy has pointed to inexcusable inefficiency and graft in st steamboat inspection tion is service rv ce T r Lifeboat Inspection spec ion The e navigation laws for instance require that every lifeboat sh shall ll be inspected before a vessel departs A proper inspection requires that it shall be swung out on its davits and lowered in the water to test leaks But almost never is a full inspection made Bureau Bureau Bureau Bu Bu- Bu- Bu reau inspectors are content to swing out one boat and let the rest go Other inspection tion is on the same level Probing into this Jones and Adams suspected that gratuities were being given to some of their inspectors It was difficult to prove this but they found inspectors living beyond their income also receiving various intangible benefits from steamship steamship steamship steam steam- ship owners Floating Firetraps Another condition pregnant with tragedy y- y that the young bloods unearthed was the state of American coastwise and inner waterway vessels Many of these including the ships used on some of the niost most popular excursions to New England and the south were characterized by McCoy and Adams as floating firetraps which would sink if one hole was poked in them Referring to excursion ste steamers mers they reported report report- ed It is felt that sooner or l later ter we may look for fora a recurrence of ot the Slocum disaster in which lives were lost Of the vessels plying on the rivers harbors harbors harbors har har- bors and sounds of the United States the young bloods reported are 20 years old or over and for th the most part should be scrapped They also reported that many of the ferries throughout the country arc are old vessels and of inflammable inflammable inflammable in in- in- in flammable construction l lAll Fatal Clash All of these reports were kept secret It was wasa a dispute over over making them public that goes Jones and Adams into their final and fatal clash The clash of ot politics and sea sea efficiency efficiency had caused constant friction between the young bloods and the group of politicos who surround Daniel Calhoun Roper Hoper One day recently two department sleuths confronted confronted confronted con con- fronted Adams and asked if he had ever talked with anybody about the bureaus bureau's service He replied replied replied re re- re- re plied Yes of course Ive I've talked with eV everybody about it Have you ev ever r said anything that would ca cast capt st str r reflections on the service How could I say anything that wouldn't cast refi reflections The servi service e is rotten I When Jones' Jones turn came caine ho declared he be owed nothing to a pair of ot sleuths he had never seen before before before be be- fore and started to walk outWait outWait outWait out Wait a a minute you cant can't leave this room shouted the investigator Watch me brother replied Jon Jones s and he de de- de- de parted The two men subsequently were vere discharged for insubordination based on their refusal to answer answer answer an an- these questions Porto Rican Independence Behind the assassination of Colonel Francis Riggs chief of Porto Rican police was the growing growing grow grow- ing unpopularity u ity of f the United States in n the island nd and the growing demand for independence rather rattier than hatred for him personally Contrary to advance expectations Riggs was an efficient police officer Last line of an aristocratic Maryland family he led a vivid life in Porto Rico In front of his palace by the sea he set his own lobster traps swam was was attacked by barracuda He served his guests with savory savory sea di dishes cooked with his own hand I H He was one o of those few men who look dignified dignified dignified dig dig- in shorts wore a ragged blue shirt am ama and anda a big gold badge Riggs was extremely popular in Porto Rico But he was the symbol of alleged American opp op op- p Sim and h he w was as ph shot hta I |
