FAMOUS MEN’S DOUBLES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18765, 19 January 1923, Page 8

FAMOUS MEN’S DOUBLES

- A DUPLICATE FOR EVERYONE, That “everyone has a double” is an axiom that wna recently brought home to an American visitor to London in rather au embarrassing fashion (writes J.H.Y. in tho Weekly Scotsman). Strolling post the Whitehall end of Downing Street, he was suriiriEed to notice that numerous people lifted their hats to him, and a couple of policemen smartly saluted. Though amazed’ at this courtesy towards a stranger, ho rose to the occasion and doffed his headgear in return. However, he began to get embarrassed when a ‘bus load of ex-Service men, bound on a day’s holiday, gave a hearty cheer, and he fled back to his hotel. Net until the even--1 ing did he ■'solve the mystery. He is the double of the Earl of Balfour! Mr Lloyd George has more than one double. On several occasions . Sir Clement Kinloch-Cookc, who bears a striking resemblance to the great little Welshman, has been mistaken for the ex-Premier. Ho was nonplussed the other day. however, when two mother's at tho entrance to Palace Yard held up their babies to him to be kissed under the impression that he was Mr Lloyd George. THE POLITICAL HEADS. As a matter of fact we probably all have doubles somewhere or other. Mr Winston Churchill has one in a waiter in a Plymouth hotel, Mr Asquith in a well-known London clergyman, Lord Ullswater in a leading city man, and the Marquis of Crowe in at least half a dozen men who frequent the principal political clubs. When the “Grand Old Man” of the Liberal Party, Mr Gladstone, was in tho heyday of his fame, his alter ego was Mr George Hodgman, a noted devotee of the turf. Often the latter was taken for the famous “W.E.G-” Once," when Mr Gladstone was making one of his whirlwind tours in Scotland, Mr Hodgman happened to he leaving the Waverley ■ Station, when he was taken for tho "G.0.M.” by some admirers. Quickly a email crowd gathered and there was a demand for a speech. Just as the train began to move, "Mr Gladstone” put his head out of tho window, and raising his hat, said solemnly, “Gentlemen, I thank you very much. So-and-so will win the Oesarowitch” to the scandal of tho crowd. “ FIE, SIR THOMAS 1”

Another public man with a double was (Six Thomas Bcmt, Premier of Victoria. This double, a Now Zealand gentlemen, was stopping in Melbourne at the time when Sir Thomas was more or lees confined to tho house ill. People would go up to him iu the streets and shake hands, congratulating him on his recovery, and policemen stopped tho traffic for him. ■ But the climax came one morning when visiting his son, a ship’s engineer. Rising early ho found breakfast would not be ready for some time, so ho went out to a restaurant which catered for early risers. Ho ordered breakfast, but was invited to go to a private room, to which he had no objection. Hearing giggling cutaide the dioor, ho asked the reason, and to hia astonishment the girl replied, “We know you, Sir Thomas. You have been out all night. Oh, fie.” THE KING’S DOUBLE.

Kings and princes, too, have their doubles, Quito a number of men, for instance, boro a striking resemblance to the late King Edward. It was a strange coincidence that one of those that resembled him most was the then editor of the Court Circular, Mr David Tollemaohe. This gentleman was so liko the King that he was mistaken for him times without number. Once when he was dining at a restaurant in Boulogne a posse of gendarmes had 1 hastily to be sent for to keep in order tho huge crowd which had assembled to do honour to and to welcome the King of Great Britain, who, they tliought, was paying a sort of surprise visit to the famous old seaport.

The Into Sir Ernest Cassel was not only the close intimate friend and adviser of King Edward, but he boro sufficient personal resemblance to his Majesty to make "Windsor Castle” his nickname. Thereby hangs an amusing tale. Onco a peer tip-toed to a seated figure during a Windsor Castle party, and delivering a hearty slap on tho back, cried: “Hello, Windsor Castle!” Tho angry face of King Edward was turned; upon him. The King demanded ‘‘what the deuce” was meant, and when the apologetic peer explained his Majesty, who had not hoard the nickname till then, roared with laughter. Then there was the Parisian who was the exact double of King Edward and dressed and played the part to perfection, ns he milked the streets, and was. saluted everywhere by those who knew as well as by those who did not KING AND CZAR.

King George’s "other self,” everybody knows, was the ill-fated Czar of Russia. Tho Prince of Wales, too, used to have a double, a young man in the King’s'Royal Rifle Corps —the 60th Rifles. On three occasions during tho war, the traffic was held up in Trafalgar Square to allow him to pass,

while the police on duty stood at tho salute. The officer found it so embarrassing that he grew a big moustache to destroy the likeness I LADY ERRBD. Mistakes used continually to be cropping up over the strange resemblance between Mr Gerald du Mauricr, the popular actor, and the late Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. At a dinner party one night a lady adldressed du Maurier as "Sir Alma,” and assured him that he was "really not a hit like that Mr du Maurior as people make out.” On another occasion a member of the fair seif remarked to Sir Alma: “I don’t know why people should mistake you so often. To me you arc not so much alike,” and asked him to sign a photograph of his she had. "Certainly,” replied the artist, “but I ought to point out this is a photograph of Mr du Maurier."