USA
Copyright© 2016 by Old Man with a Pen
Chapter 22
"Good for you," Cousin Into, the Suomen ulkoministeriön designated Nordic Attaché stationed in Beaumont, Texas, said, "I wouldn't either."
"You got any idea where Eels is?" I asked.
"Sure," Into said. Conspiratorially, he whispered, "He's in the Mediterranean. Close to Cyprus. There's an abandoned Fleet Coaling Station there. Lots of good coal but no machinery. Shovels, refugees and lifeboats. About a ton per boat."
"The ship?"
Into Valmaat took his glasses out of in inner pocket, opened his ever present leather briefcase, took out a paper and began to read:
"The SS Grosser Kurfürst, a steel-hulled, twin-screw, passenger-and-cargo steamship launched on 2 December 1899 at Danzig, Germany, by the shipbuilding firm of F. Schichau for the North German Lloyd line. Grosser Kurfürst had "enormous carrying capacity" and "excellent passenger accommodation" for all classes from first to steerage.
"She made her maiden voyage to Asiatic and Australian ports before commencing regularly scheduled voyages in spring 1900 between Bremen and New York City; these lasted until summer 1914. In winter seasons she did eight more tours to Australia on the German Empire mail route. Her last start to Australia was 7 January 1912. Over these years she was the biggest ship sailing to Australia. At this time she made some cruises for U.S. tourists.
"When war broke out in Europe, Grosser Kurfürst was forced to seek shelter in American waters. The United States Government interned these ships wherever they had put into port, and upon the entrance of the United States into the hostilities on 6 April 1917 — took them over for "safe keeping."
Into put the paper away, polished his glasses, put them in his suit jacket pocket and continued:
"Allowed to deteriorate in the States, she was bought by committee and refitted for the purpose of moving the maximum possible number of European Jews to Palestine and force the English hand.
"The British Fleet has been blocking entry to the promised land. Turned away from Gibraltar, time after time, out in the Atlantic, the ship ran out of fuel, a tug was sent but it, too, ran out of fuel.
"Eels, with your official looking US Navy tugboat, has moved them into the Med.
"He's going to tow the ship within steaming distance, fire the boilers with the Fleet coal, and see them off. The Jews intend to run the ship ashore. You should hear something by Sunday."
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