CRUISE VIGNETTES 29, Stefan Batory

CROSSING THE ATLANTIC
As we sailed, at noon on Saturday, the bugle call -- the "Hejnal Mariacki" -- that is sounded each hour in Kraków, Poland — was broadcast over the ship’s PA System. A national symbol for Poland.

A most interesting passenger was a retired 4-star US Army General. This is his fourth trip on this ship, each time with his VW Van in the hold of the ship. They always check passports, and he said that by the second time he was on the Stefan Batory, it was obvious they had checked his passport and knew who he was. He is now treated with much deference, a change from his first trip on the ship.

Something about the name of this ship caught my eye, and I just knew there was something historically important that I should remember about this ship. The General (mentioned above) remembered about the same thing, but it wasn’t until 1991 (with the help of the late Congressman Patrick J. Hillings, who lived near our home in La Quinta, CA) that I researched the story, and confirmed what happened. The following is summarized from the May 23, 1949 issue of Time Magazine.

”Gerhart Eisler, the head of the US Communist party in the 1940’s, was under indictment, and was free on a $23,500 bond, money put up by the Communist Party. One day he bought a 25¢ ticket to visit on board a Polish ship, then named the “Batory.” He hid on the ship, and when it arrived in International waters he came out and identified himself, then paid his fare to Europe. The US Government found out about it and ordered the ship to return to port, but the Captain refused. The US then decreed that this ship could never return to a US port.” So that’s why we are in Montreal rather than New York City, I’m sure.

People on the ship were very careful about discussing anything considered politically controversial until they looked around to see who might be able to hear them. The dinner-table conversation was never about a political subject.

At dinner time on the last night of the trip, there was a brilliant sight as we sailed up the St. Lawrence River past Quebec City and saw the beautiful hotel, Chateau Frontenac, high on the hill.