NAVAL HOAX.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 74, 30 March 1910, Page 10

NAVAL HOAX.

BOGUS PRINCES. .VISIT TO A DREADNOUGHT. [/ROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] LONDON, 18th February. A daring practical joke was cn.icti*d last veelc on board the battleship Dreadnought, the flagship of the Coin-mander-in-Chicf of tho Home Fleet. During ths week a telegram, purporting to be sent by Sir Charles Hardinge. the Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, was received on boaid the vessel, then lying off Portland, preparatory to putting to sea for gunnery exercise. It contained the information that Prince Makalin 'and suite would arrive in the afternoon, and gave instructions that they were to receive c\ery attention. Such a message, emanating from an official source, was not unusual, as visitors are frequently permitted' to visit British ships receiving similar courtesies to those accprded co distinguished British subjects abroad. In this p«rticular case the telegram appeared to be iiuthentic, and every fitting arrangement was mndo to welcome- Prince Makulii* sn<! his suite. ARRIVAL AT PORTLAND. When, later in the afternoon, the dusky visitors with an "attache" and an "interpreter" arrived at Portland, a steam pinnace from the Dreadnought awaited them, and they were conveyed to the battleship. It u» stated that the "attache" was dretstd \p an official unifoim, which would convey the suggestion that he vra& associated witb tho Foieigu Olnce, while the interpreter was do rigueur. The party arrived late in the afternoon, when the light waa beginning to go, and poi-sibly the careful attention to detail assisted in the final triumph. When the "Aby*sinian prince*" reached the Dreadnought there was not a' breath of suspicion as to their authenticity. Thrir appearance was all that might have been expected. The omcen> of the «hip who happened to be on board fho wed them marked courtesy, and explained eveiy thing of general Interest about the »e«iel. That the joke was carried out with much cleverness is shown by tho fact thilt one o* the officers who conducted the party over the ahip is said to be a brother of one of the "princes." THE ACTORS. It i« stated that tho party consisted of four persons, made up of the two princes, attache and interpreter. One is a gentleman belonging to a noble family, and the lady is a sister of one of the other actors in the comedy. Nothing more can be said as to the ideality of the authors of the joke, save that they \>erc well supplied with money, and wot? evidently possewed oi * capacity for taking paint. They spent n« 'ong .i« a fortnight in their preparations. Having arranged their joke, they approached Mr. William Clarkson, of the well-known firm of theatrical costumiers, and ordered Oriental clothing and other necessary make-tin for the parts they were to play. No expense or trouble was spared. Real jewels were bought for a conbidcrable sum, and the details of tho costumes were, well thought out. A sky-blue silk robe, beautifully embroidered, was made for the lady, and the men of the party were provided with equally gorgeous attire. Black woolly wigs were worn by the meu, the lady's hair being concealed beneath a magnificent turban, while the faces and hands of all the party were stained to an appropriate hue. Suitable names were invented, and with delicious irony the lady of- the party, who was dressed in male attire, chose' to bo called Prince Mendax. On their the "princes" were by no meant voluble. They contented themeelvec with murmuring "Bunga, bunga!" which, according to their interpreter, is the Abyssinian way of saying "Isn't it lovely !" The impudent joke went off without a hitch. Previous experience may havtf helped the party iv carrying through this: latest prank successfully, for they are credited with being the actors in a similar hoax some years ago, when the Mayor of Cambridge at that lime received a party posing as the Sultan of Zanzibar and hfs suite. Mr .Clarkson said: "The commander of the party was absolutely reckles* in his expenditure. Dissatisfied with imitation jewellery, he went out and put chased quite £500 worth of precious stones from a shop close by to complete the outfits. Ho demanded absolute accuracy in make-np, unH we> Epent some dayh in procuring exactly what he wanted. Tho make-up was certainly of a ■most striking character." The forgery of tho telegram brings the offenders within thij limits of tho law, And there may be subsequent act ; on. Mr. Clarkson had no notion a* to the intentions of tho spurious Abj toinians.