GREAT BRITAIN: Eastward, To Empire

Nigger, the little yapping terrier bitch of Edward of Wales, † whined disconsolately by day, all last week, and howled eerily by night. Servants at H. R. H.’s bachelor quarters in York House, London, could not quite shake off uneasy qualms aroused by the dog’s palpable terror and grief. Suppose, just suppose the little bitch knew, with feminine intuition, that her master would never return. Absurd—yet Master Wales had set out, last week, to journey a long way away—to South & East Africa.

There would be more danger than might be supposed.*

Nervous and loyal Britons were glad that with Edward of Wales there sailed away his brother Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. Both young men are competent manipulators of firearms, though not crack shots like King-Emperor George V.

After leaving London with the minimum retinue of four aides, Their Royal Highnesses proceeded by ordinary channel steamer to Calais, by ordinary sleeping car across France to Marseilles, and thence, by ordinary express steamer to Alexandria, chief port of Egypt.

No parades, no salutes, this was to be just a pleasure jaunt and big game hunt through Africa. But Britain’s leading special correspondents stalked in the offing, nosing after every elusive atom of royal news.

Fat King Fuad of Egypt steamed out in his serene white yacht to meet T. R. H., as their steamer hove in to Alexandria. Even distant observers could discern His Majesty’s obsequious nervousness. He is a British puppet and in constant danger of assassination by patriots of his own race. More, he is constantly anxious lest such patriots molest or assassinate British officials in Egypt. Therefore, though precautions to protect the English princes had been tripled and re-tripled, they were entertained principally upon His Majesty’s yacht.

Loomed, after the brief Egyptian visit, a 17-day sail from Alexandria through the Suez Canal and down the coast of Africa to Mombasa. For the sake of comfort on this sweltering voyage the British India Steam Navigation Co.’s S. S. Mali has been improved by ripping out the partitions dividing her six largest cabins and constructing instead two spacious, airy bedrooms and a sumptuous sitting room for Their Royal Highnesses.

The program of tour includes visits to the Afric colonies and territories of Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia, all of which lands may some day be federated into an already projected “Empire of East Africa.”

Though the problems of federation are already being ably grappled with by a Royal Commission, it is felt that a casual hunting trip by Edward of Wales may do something to persuade the colonies and territories that they might like to have this pleasant, popular young man for their very own East African Emperor.*

After thoroughly “covering” East Africa the Princes will proceed to South Africa and spend Christmas in Cape Town with their austere, not very popular uncle the Earl of Athlone, brother to Her Majesty Queen Mary, and Governor General of the Union of South Africa.

†General Umberto Mobile’s little yapping terrier bitch is Titina. *James A. G. Davey (Tree Surgery) said, upon reaching Manhattan last week after a tour across Africa, “I will never again make that trip without firearms, and I strongly advise against any one else doing so.” An Afric native, it appeared, had frightened Mr. & Mrs. Davey by rising up out of tall elephant grass and hurling at their motor car a spear. *George V is Emperor of India alone and King of the remainder of the British Commonwealth of Nations.