VALUABLE GIFTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22725, 11 May 1937, Page 11

VALUABLE GIFTS

INDIAN PRINCES GOLD CHARIOT FOR KING OTHER STRIKING PRESENTS LONDON, May 2 The Indian Princes who are coming to London for the Coronation have decided to present to Their Majesties a golden chariot on behalf of 700 fellow princes. The gold comes from Mysore and the precious stones with which it is studded from Baroda,' Bikanir, Hyderabad and Kashmir. Tlio chariot was carved and designed in Jaipur and Jodhpur. It will come on the last steamer bringing Coronation visitors from Bombay by a special courier and will bo presented at a special banquet. Tbo chariot is a replica of one described in the Mahabharata (Sacred Book) of the Hindus, and has taken six months to complete, 10 famous craftsmen working on it for 10 hours a day. From Cairo the Emir of Transjordania is bringing a sacred jewelled Hedjazi dagger for the King. Before bo sailed from Haifa the dagger was blessed by a priest at the shrine at Mecca.

Prince Berar, heir apparent to the Nizam of Hyderabad, the richest man in,, the world, is a delegate to the Coronation, with his princess, who is bringing to the Queen a gold bar from the ancient mines of Golconda, which is inscribed in Urdu "To the QueenEmpress on behalf of the women of the Nizam's dominion."

While in India the Princess, who is descended, from the Sultans of Turkey, lives in purdah, but whenever she comes to Europe she lifts her veil. SYDNEY CELEBRATIONS ITALIAN REPRESENTATIVE PART IN THE CEREMONIES (Received May 10, 7.50 p.in.) SYDNEY, May 10 The acting-Consul-General for Italy, Commander Vitali, states tliat ho has had no official advice regarding Signor Mussolini's attitude to the Coronation: Italian flags will be flown from the Consular office in Sydney on Coronation Day.

"It is the greatest honour wo can do," added Commander Vitali, who, it is understood, will attend the official ceremonies in Coronation we«fk. Reports indicate a similar attitude on the part of the Italian Consulates in the other States. POSITION IN DOMINION ACTING-CONSUL'S PART WILL ATTEND FESTIVITIES [BY TELEGRAPH TOES 3 ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Monday Although cablegrams from Europe report considerable anti-British feeling in Italy, so far the official representative of the Italian Government in Wellington has received no instructions not to participate in the local Coronation celebrations. Members of New Zealand's by no means inconsiderable Italian population therefore will be able to take part in the festivities without any fear that they will unwittingly be offending II Duce. Interviewed to-day, Signor 0. Carrara, acting-Consul for Italy in New Zealand, Fiji and Samoa, stated that he had so far received no explicit instructions as to what attitude to adopt. He had previously received information that the Italian Ambassador in London would take part in the Coronation ceremonies there and in that case he would follow a similar procedure. Although that advice had been received some time ago, he "had not so far been given any instructions which would countermand it. ITALIAN ATTITUDE GERMAN PRESS APPROVES BERLIN, May 0 The German press wholeheartedly approves of Italy's action in banning certain British newspapers and withdrawing correspondents in connection with the Coronation. Hints are thrown out that Germany will shortly act likewise. Emphasis is laid in Berlin on the extent to which Italian and German patience has been displayed in the past.