“QUEEN MARY” STOWAWAYS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 256, 25 July 1936, Page 22

“QUEEN MARY” STOWAWAYS

Society Girl’s Ruse

A carefully-laid plot by young men and women to stow away hi the Queen Mary when she sailed from Southampton on her maiden voyage was disclosed recently by one of the plotters—a girl. She said that she wanted to get it off her mind for two reasons: First, because her own plan for getting aboard had broken down, and secondly, because she wished to warn the others of the risk they were running. They were pitting their wits against the most elaborate precautions ever devised to guard a liner. But- their plans to get aboard and stay there were just as elaborate. “I still think it was the most mar vellous gate-crashing opportunity in history,” she said. “The famous ‘Bright Young People’ of the last generation thought of nothing so adventurous as this.” She added that she knew of at least 10 girls who undertook to try to gatecrash the Queen Mary. The adventure appealed not only to young society people but also to imaginative youth throughout the country, and the ship was watched night and day. , This was the girl plotter’s plan. Each passenger was permitted one visitor’s pass for a friend. These passes were closely scrutinised at the gang-planks, and a check was kept of the persons boarding and leaving the ship.

“But 1 had a way to beat all those precautions,” she said. “1 was going aboard with a visitor’s pass to see a friend in her cabin. This friend was taking her maid, who, naturally, would have a sailing ticket. » “My plan was to stay in the cabin while the maid went ashore with my visitor’s ticket. Then, just before sailing time, the maid would come a boat d with her own ticket. I should still be aboard when the boat sailed. “Then I learned that officials knew all about that plan and were taking precautions against it. “Also my friend had decided not to have anything to do with the scheme. So I gave up the whole idea. “1 earnestly ftdvised all the other would-be stowaways to give it up. too. I have learned lately what happens to stowaways.” Most of the de luxe, adventurers hoped to get their evening clothes aboard. They planned to emerge from their hiding-places on the second or third evening out. and. dressed as first-class passengers, to mingle unnoticed with the crowd in the ballroom, to lounge about the decks. They expected friends on board to supply them with food and drink. Nothing is more certain, however, that if the adventure had got that far some of these elegantly-dressed young women would have found themselves down in the third-class galley washing dishes.