HOW THE HOAX WAS WORKED.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 793, 16 April 1910, Page 6

HOW THE HOAX WAS WORKED.

GUARD HOTJNTED ON FLAGSHIP. What purports to be a complete and authentic account of the amazing hoax perpetrated on Admiral Sir William May, Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet,' Britain's greatest fighting force, and the officers of the battleship Dreadnought, was supplied to '-'The Daily Mirror":— , The participants were six in "number,

and consisted of one young lady and five young men. The young lady ,and three of the men disguised themselves as Abyssinian princes, and of the two other men one passed himself dff as Mr. Herbert Cholmondely, Foreign Office Attache, and the other; as Herr George Kauffmann, a : German, and interpreter to the princes. Travelling in a special,saloon carriage from Paddington, the whole party went to Portland, where they were received ■ with royal honours by the Commander-in-Chief and his staff officers, and conducted over the flagship. They ■■returned safely to London without eioiting the least suspicion. Getting the Costumes. ' Mr.. Cholmondely and Herr Kauffmann, as they called themselves, were the leading characters in the famous Sultan of Zanzibar hoax at Cambridge jabout five years ago, Mr. Cholmondely, as the Sultan, and Herr Kauffmann, as his Grand l Vizier, acting their parts with such fidelity that they deceived tho Mayor and Corporation, who turned out to givo- them a royal welcome on. their, arrival at the university town. ' , "in audacity, lies safety," was their motto on the occasion of the present; expedition. They visited Mr. Willie Clarkson, the well-known costumier of Wardour Street, and 'explained what they ; wanted without divulging their object, and for two. weeks two of his most expert men were. engaged in obtaining the necessary dresses and makeup for the parts. "When finally the six set out on their mißsion, they were magnificently disguised as: Prince Makalen, chief Prince of Abyssinia. Prince Sanganya (the young English lady, and sister of the man who acted as a German and inteipreter). ■ Prince Mandok. , , Prince Mikael Golon. Herr George • Kauffmann, official, interpreter. '.'■'■ Mt. Herbert Cholmondely,; Foreign Office Attache. ■ Princes' Gorgeous Attire. All the princes wore vari-coloured silk sashes as turbans; set off with diamond aigrettes, white gibbah tunics, over which were cast rich flowing robes, and round their necks were suspended gold chains and jewelled necklaces. Their faces were coloured a deep brown, with a specially-prepared powder, and half-hidden uuder dark false beards and moustaches, while, except in the case of the lady, their hair was dyed black and crisply curled. The young' lady's mako-up—she is described as very good looking, with classical features—was precisely the same as that of the other princes, save that her long hair was bound up tightly on the top of her head, and she wore a black; curly wig. . They also' all wore patent leather boots which, Oriental fashion, tapered to a point, the ends projecting fully six inches beyond .the toes. White gloves covered the princes' hands, and over the gloved fingers they wore gold weddiug-nngs—heavy, plain circlets, which looked very impressive. Prinoo Makalen, as chief of tho royal

party, had an additional ornament. This was the real Imperial Order of Ethiopia—a star-shaped jewel, in the contre of which was a sappbire-like pieco of glass. It was suspended from a red, gold, and blue ribbon, and was pinned on—with a safety-pin—to a gold chain worn round the neck. The metal was of Abyssinian silver plated with gold. Speaking Abyssinian; The total value of tho jewellery worn, by.the prinoes was at least £500. "Mr. Cholmondely" was not disguised at all, but Herr Kauffmann was mado up as a very German-looking German. Hie hair and eyebrowß were) darkened; his smooth, face was covered with a rugged beard and a wild-looking moustacho; his skin was tanned to. givo the effect of Abyssinian sunburn; and ho wore a dirty bowler hat with a dent in it, and rather a shabby .overcoat. The Abyssinian language presented no difficulties to these daring English people. They learned a few phrases of Swaheli from a grammar book which they purchased from tho Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge —and that was the full extent of /their knowledge of the Abyssinian tongue. But they'did not use a word of it on tho Dreadnought. They talked gibberish—any nonsense that came into their heads —and the officers wore duly impressed. The following is a specimen of the gibberish:— .

Yembo inscara influ berango scutala bonga- astema, hevashi shemal. The party caught the 12.30 train from Paddington to Weymouth. They were due to arrive at their destination at 4.20, and .by arrangement one of their friends sent off the following telegram from London at three o'clock: Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, Portland. Prince Makalen of Abyssinia and suite arrive 4.20 to-day . Woymouth. He wishes to see Dreadnought.. Kindly arrange ' meet them! on arrival.' Re- , grot short notice. Forgot wire before. Interpreter accompanies.—Hardinge, Foreign Office. Sir Charles Hardinge, by whom this telegram was supposed to be sent, is Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign Aifairs, and it was received by Admiral Sir William May on the Dreadnought at 3.45. • • .■•. There was only half an hour to spare, and the admiral at once gavei orders for his officers to put on full dress, for a guard of honour to be , mounted on board, and for a launch to be sent to the jetty to,convey the distinguished visitors to the ship. , . .._ , Tho princes stepped out of the train, and Mr. Cholmondely assisted' them; with becoming gravity and obsequiousness into a four-wheeler, and, witil Herr iiaufrmann, followed in a taxicab. ■ .. ■ . Welcomed by Admiral. Waiting at the jetty, sure enough, was the admiral's launch. The "royal party" at 'once stepped in, and were soon alongside the ilagship, where they were greeted with the National. Anthem of : Zanzibar, tho band not knowing that of Abyssinia, if such a. thing exists. , : ■ Mr. Cholmondely went up the gangway first and shook hands with Admiral May. Then came tho princes, who were formally introduced to the admiral. Introductions to the captain followed, and then the guard of honour of majines was inspected. • ! . Prince Makalen talked gibberish. "The Prince wishes to know," said the official interpreter, "the difference between the red and blue Marines." The necessary explanation was given, - and more gibberish followed. Then came the question of a salute. Eighteen guns'wero suggested, but then the discovery was made that there was no Abyssinian. flag to hoist as it was fired. British Tegret was expressed, and with admirable urbanity tho princes said that they would waivo all claim to a salute. And then' tho pnncos, who alternately beamed with pleasure and glared ferociously, wero conducted over , the entire ship, and everything of importance was carefully explained to them, the remarks being accurately interpreted by the faithful German official. Meanwhile Mr. Cholmondely, of the Forei<ni Office, was asked to have tea with some of tho officers, and he cordially accepted this invitation. Ho detailed tbo historyj all made up on the spot, of these wonderful Abyssinian princes—the chief, he said, was Menelek's first cousin— aod, in answer

to a question why longer notice of tiieir' visit had not been given, explained that they bad rushed away suddenly from Park to escape the floods. Tea invitation Declined. While tho princes were learning all about tho Dreadnought, Admiral May asked Air. Cholniondely if he could bo of any further service. Mr. Cholmondoly thanked him for his courtesy and consideration, and said ho thought the princes would excuse him from further ceremony. The admiral thereupon took off his fulldross uniform, dressed himself in mufti, and went ashore. A little later the prmcea concluded their tour, and the officers pressed them to have tea,'but the "royal" visitors declined with a thousand thanks. Their excuse was that they already had* eaten too much. The real reason, of course, was that they wero afraid that the least moisture on their lips would remove tho powder from tho skin. As the princes bade their hosts a reluctant adieu the flag officer said he would accompany them back to tho railway station in ordor to report their safe departure to the Admiralty. Mr. Cholmondely considerately said he would "perform this little duty, but the Sag-lieutenant persisted in going with them as far as the jetty. Speeding the Parting Cuests. Again the band of the Dreadnonght, still ignorant of the Abyssinian, struck up the National Anthem of Zanzibar,

and the officers saluted as the princes walked with slow deliberation down the gangway. The long pointed boots nearly proved fatal to one of the .princes. He slipped on a step, and would. have fallen into, the sea had not ono of his royal confreres caught him by the arm and saved him-from an untimely ■ ducking, to say nothing of the exposure of the hoax which would have followed. The party were conveyed to. the jetty in. the admiral's launch, and found two official motor-cars waiting to take them back to the station. The chief prince was so overwhelmed with this act of British kindness that he expressed his wish to present the Imperial Order of Ethiopia to the flagiioutenant. The nag-lieutenant, however, declined the honour, ; explaining : that he' could not wear it without special permission, and tho chief prince was , compelled to keep the Order —wiiich cost £s—round his own neck. . '.L'he snam princes then entered the motor-cars and drove back to the railway station, whence they reached London .safety. [There' is a presumption of juvenility in the cabled statements of the "Daily Express" which does not quite; fit in with the "Daily Mirrors's" narrative printed above. Tho "Mirror's" story of the main aotors suggests experienced adult persons Tather than cadet officers;, but it may bo that some cadet officers of tihe fleet were accessories.] .