Mothers & Daughters

Just back of Britain's monster naval base at Singapore lies the pleasant realm of the wealthy, virile, tiger-hunting Sultan of Johore who, as an Oriental potentate, is entitled to have at least one attractive British woman staying at his palace on approval. His Highness, while making a round-the-world tour in 1934, was photographed in Hollywood with Mae West, and was the guest in Washington of Mr. & Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt. Last week, the Sultan again was news because, when he recently returned to Johore from a holiday in Sumatra, he had with him and seemed intent on marrying a pert number, Lydia Cecily Hill, an ex-cabaret performer who first caught His Highness' eye four years ago in London when she was legging in the Grosvenor House floor show.

The sahibs of the British colony in Singapore had thought it bad enough some years ago when the Sultan married (and subsequently divorced) a Scotswoman who had been the wife of a Singapore physician. A cabaret-girl-Sultana the sahibs considered quite impossible. Social royalists, they ganged up and put moral pressure on the precedent-breaking Sultan by unanimously refusing his invitations, although Miss Hill was properly chaperoned at the palace by her mother. The Sultan had his revenge, by ordering the sahibs off his golf course, their children away from his bandstand.

It is risky for an Asiatic to frustrate sahibs. The Sultan of Johore soon discovered reports were reaching London that he was making an issue of marrying Miss Hill, had engaged in a "serious quarrel" with the Governor of Straits Settlements. Afraid the British Government might crack down, His Highness suddenly made amends by packing Miss Hill and her mother off to England. But he attended their sailing party and stood on the dock while his guests waved farewell to him (see cut). Last week in London, as mother & daughter landed, the Sultan's long-time legal adviser. Roland Braddell, swarthy, bespectacled author of Lights of Singapore, hastily called in British journalists, handed them a cable just received from the Sultan: I HAVE NEVER SUGGESTED MARRYING MISS HILL STOP ANY SUGGESTION OF POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS IS A LIE STOP ANY SUGGESTION OF MY NOT FAITHFULLY CARRYING OUT ALL AGREEMENTS WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS ALSO A LIE STOP.

Having sent this cable, His Highness prepared to leave Johore to spend another holiday in Sumatra, where it is not hard to find attractive mother & daughter setups.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.