THE BALTIMORE SUN. JULY 16. 1971
SHIPPING AGENT IS TARGET
OF PAKISTAN ARMS PROTEST
Thirteen demonstrators-only one of them from Pakistan-marched in front of a downtown office building here yesterday to protest an alleged shipment of military cargo to Pakistan.
All of the marchers carried signs during the peaceful 45 minute demonstration in front of the Keyser Building at Calvert and Redwood streets.
Two of the leaders later talked with a representative of the East West Shipping Agencies, whose offices are located in the building. The agency is handling arrangements for the scheduled arrival tomorrow afternoon of the Pakistani freighter Padma at the Port Covington Terminal on McComas street.
Bound For Karachi
The Pakistani freighter, which is ultimately bound for Karachi, has been the object of controversy over the past few weeks.
The United Slates reportedly has decided not to grant licenses for arms shipments to Pakistan but will allow previously approved shipments to be made. The Pakistan government has suppressed a revolt by East Pakistani’ separatists but guerrilla actions are continuing
Bin Moyer, a spokesman for the protesters, claims that the Padma was loaded with eight Sabre jets, aircraft parts and accessories, spare vehicle parts and 2,000 rounds of ammunition.
Spoke With Manager
Jack Patterson, of the American Friends Service Committees and Diana Schramm left the march to talk with Walter Spieker manager of East-West Shipping Agencies about the Padma.
Mrs. Schramm explained to Mr. Spieker that her organization, the Friends of East Bengal, had many conflicting reports as to the location of the ship and the nature of its cargo.
Mr. Spieker said that “nobody called us” and promptly advised them of tomorrow’s arrival. “The Padma is now at sea, somewhere between Montreal, the last port of can, and Baltimore,” Mr. Spieker continued. “All I know is what happens at the dock here is no military cargo scheduled to go on board the Padma.”
“You Can Have It”
The only cargo on board that Mr. Spieker knew of was 1.800 tons of general cargo consisting of steel, flour and glassware. “You can come down and watch us load” he concluded, “and if you find any military cargo being loaded, you can have it.”
With this information, Mr. Patterson and Mrs. Schramm returned to the demonstrators who were still picketing. As the demonstrators gathered around their envoys for the announcement, the demonstration was officially ended for the day.
Mr. Moyer disclosed that his organization had been informed that ammunition is to be loaded tomorrow, although Mr. Spieker insisted that there would be no military cargo put aboard in Baltimore.
Charles Jones, first vice president of Local 829, International Longshoreman’s Association, said that he was in contact with the agency concerning the Padma shipment. He said he was told that there would be no ammunition, no military cargo and no cargo whatsoever that had to do with the military loaded in Baltimore.
The protesters announced that they would meet in front of the Keyser Building today at 12.30 P.M. From there they plan to march to the United States Customs Office in the 100 block South Gay street and talk to officials there about the Padma. A blockade of the port Covington Terminal by their “non-violent navy” is still scheduled for tomorrow.
POLICE SEIZE 7 YOUTHS IN 1511) TO BLOCK SHIP
By Antero Pietila
Seven water-borne demonstrators who were attempting to keep the Pakistani freighter Padma from docking at Port Covington were arrested by Baltimore city police in two boats last night. Six of them were charged.
Police picked the young demonstrators up from two canoes and a kayak which were moving close by the Padma. of Karachi, a freighter which is said to be carrying United States military equipment for Pakistan despite a ban on such shipments.
Those charged with interfering with naval passage and disobeying a policeman’s order were identified by police as Wayne Lauser, Sally Willoughby, Richard Taylor, Mai Scott. Stephanie Hollyman and Charles Goodwin. All of them were said to be Philadelphia residents. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for 9 A.M. at the Southern District court.
2 Others Stand By
Two other canoes carrying five other demonstrators were allowed to stay by the ship as it docked at Pier 8 shortly before 8 P.M.
Earlier yesterday, the International Longshoremen’s Association ordered one of its Baltimore locals not to work on the Padma. indicating that it wanted to stay “neutral” in the civil war that has devastated East Pakistan.
In New York, Allan Elia. vice president of the East West Shipping Agency, the ship’s United States agents, denied that any military cargo was on board. He said that the company would seek an injunction against the longshoremen’s union and the Federal Maritime Commission if the longshoremen fail to report to work this morning.
According to Mr. Elia three gangs of longshoremen were scheduled to start work at 7 A. M. today. Shipments scheduled to be loaded in Baltimore did not include military goods, he said.
“The whole thing is ridiculous,” the agent said in a telephone interview. He indicated that he would be willing to let the cargo be inspected if the inspector would bear the cost in the event no military articles are found.
Local 829 received its boycott orders at about noon from Miami where its top officials are preparing for a convention next week.
According to Charles (Buck) Jones, first vice president of the union, no explanation for the order was given on the telephone. “William Hiale, our international vice president Just said that Thomas G. Gleason president of the union had instructed that no work be done on the cargo. He didn’t have to give any explanation,” Mr. Jones said.
A Revolution Going On
He then added. “There is a revolution going on there [ in Pakistan], isn’t there? We don’t want to be involved in any way.”
During the afternoon, while the Padma was in the Chesapeake and Delaware canal, a small flotilla of three canoes, two kayaks and a row boat were in the water near Port Covington.
The boats were manned by members and sympathizers of the Friends of East Bengal, a Philadelphia-based organization advocating the independence of East Pakistan. It reportedly has close ties to the American Friends Service Committee, the Quaker organization, and some of yesterday’s demonstrators were also active in a protest last summer against biological warfare research at Edgewood Arsenal.
Group’s Plans
Charles Walker, a spokesman for the group, which numbered about 35, said that the demonstrators would attempt to keep the Padma from docking at Port Covington. If that effort should fail, he said, they would try to blockade it in the port.
The controversy surrounding the Padma began June 22, when the New York Times in a dispatch from Washington reported that the freighter was about to sail from New York. Scheduled to arrive in Karachi in mid-August, the ship was to carry eight aircraft, parachutes and “hundreds of thousands of pounds of spare parts and accessories for planes and military vehicles,” the Times said.
Ban On Arms Stales
Referring to a State Department ban on arms sales to Pakistan issued March 25the paper quoted’ an unidentified official as saying, “There has evidently been some kind of slippage here.”
After leaving New York, the Padma sailed to Canada, where officials banned the loading of any further shipments, however.
Report Discounted
He said that the Canadian officials had prohibited the loading of cargo that contained “46 cases of spare parts, include spare parts.”
He also discounted the Times report, saying. “This is ridiculous. Somebody’s been misinformed.
“We don’t have any military cargo aboard, none whatsoever. We have 10 boxes of smoke signals. Now, if this is ammunition…” the agent said. He also dismissed the talk about air planes in the cargo and said that the only air-related cargo were altimeters, “plane spare parts, nuts and bolts.”
The demonstrators-including about ten Pakistanis and Indians-continued to maintain that the Padma’s cargo is mostly military material, however. They carried signs yesterday saying, “Stop Pakistan- Massacre – Don’t Send arms.”
The group praised the longshoremen’s decision not to work on the Padma, although its Baltimore cargo was non-military.