She dreaded to think what might happen in that three
months' interregnum between husband II and husband III. Enough was
happening in the rest of the world.
The _annus miserabilis_ 1917 had begun with the determination
of the German Empire to render the seas impassable and to withdraw
the pledge to President Wilson that merchant ships should not be
sunk till the passengers and crew had a chance to get into open
boats. On January 31, 1917, "Frightfulness" began anew, and the
undersea fleets, enormously increased, were set loose in shoals.
Having no commerce of her own afloat, it was safe for Germany to
sink any vessel anywhere.
Kedzie began to wonder if she would ever dare to sail for he
future ancestral home, and if she did how long her ship would
last.
On February 3d the U-53, which had sunk Strathdene's ship off
Newport, sank an American freighter bound from Galveston to
Liverpool. Other American vessels followed her into the depths.
On February 27th the Laconia, of 18,000 tons burden, was torpedoed
and twelve passengers died of exposure in the bitter weather. In
one of the open boats a Catholic priest administered the last rites
to seven persons.
Mrs. Hoy, of Chicago, died in the arms of her daughter and her body
slipped into the icy waves, to be followed by her daughter's a few
minutes later.
These seemed to make up a sufficient total of American women
drowned, and on the next day the President declared that the
long-awaited "overt act" had been committed.
Pages:
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662