DREADNOUGHT HOAX.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 778, 30 March 1910, Page 5

DREADNOUGHT HOAX.

PARTY OF FOUR DRESS AS FOREIGN PRINCES. ' ARE ENTERTAINED v ON WARSHIP. Details of an amaaing hoax recently perpetrated on the officers of H.M.S. Dreadnought have just leaked out.. For sheer impudence the exploit beats,the imposture of Voigt at Koepenick, and no expense was spared ,to ensure its success. Three young (men and a young woman a short time ago' approached Clarkson's, the well-known costumiers, and' asked to be'made up as- Abyssinian princes, regardless of cost. One of the' gentlemen, it should be stated, belongs to a noble family, and the lady is a sister of one of the other actors in the. comedy. The preparations naturally .took some little 'time, but the scheme fully matured . on Monday, February 14, when, resplendent as dusky princes, accompanied by an "attache" and an "interpreter," and two men from the costumiers, to form a suite, .the leaders in the somewhat reprehensible joke travelled - down to Portland', and were received with honour on board" the Dreadnought. "The commander of tbe party was absolutely reckless in bis., expenditure," stated the manager of the costumiers. "Dissatisfied with imitation jewellery, he went out and purchased quite £500 worth of precious stones from a shop. close by to complete the -outfits. ■ He demanded absolute accuracy in make-1 up, and wo spent some days in procuring exactly what he wanted. The make-up : was certainly of a most striking character. ""The . three young men and. the young woman all. had their hair cut short, and were -.fitted . with black woolly mats which completely covered their skulls. They, were provided with short, crisp, curly black beards, and the mosi completo sets of nigger lips. Their'faces, arms, and bands were , dyad to the proper hue. They wore turbaus and flowing robes." Unable to resist a touch of humour, the "princes" completed their, disguise, with very long, pointed, elastic-sided, patent leather boots. TJie man who was to ; pass as an interpreter looked like a Gorman, and the dress of the "Foreign Office Attache" was an easy-matter. The "Daily Express' gives the following text of, a telegram dispatched to, ttie Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet at Portland :—. Prince Makalin and suite will arrive at Weymouth at 4.20. Kindly, make all arrangements to receive them. This telegram bore the name of. a high official,, whose lightest wishes,wero likely to be received with respect. And so it was that the "princely" visitors were received -on board the ■ flagship, and marines presented arms as "Prince Makalin" and his gorgeous suite stepped over the side. Ail the "princes" bore names which had been specially invented for the occasion on the journey down from town; the name chosen for the lady was "Prince Mendax." With characteristic hospitality, the officers of the battleship strove their utmost to shower honours and a,ttentions on their guests. The attache from the Foreign Office was charming, and his explanations were complete. It told what pleasnre it' would give -the "princes"' to see over tho warship, and informal one ; of the officers that the "prinoes" were on a visit to .this country in order to make arrangements for sending their sons and nephews to school at Eton. So tho "princes" were shown everything—the wireless, the guns, and the torpedoes, and at every fresh sight they murmured in chorus, "Bunga bunga," which, being interpreted, means- "Isn't it lovely?" Declining pressing invitations to remain for tea (being afraid the liquid would "give way" tho false lips) the party were escorted back to Weymouth without suspicion, having been aroused.