Ship soon took control of another amateur theatre group known as the New Theatre Group, with Ada assisting him. Because this troupe typically put on leftist plays, they often found themselves under the surveillance of the "Red Squad" of the Québec Provincial Police. Ship's most successful effort during that time was We Beg To Differ, a musical revue with lyrics by Ship and music by Mel Tolkin which poked fun at numerous Canadian political figures of the time. By this time Ship had begun touring the northeastern United States, and he eventually settled in New York City. In 1944 he was hired by NBC as a scriptwriter for a new radio sitcom, The Life of Riley. When the show was adapted for television in 1949-50, however, Ship's contract had expired and he was not rehired.
