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Count Chinds that His Imperial Highness should embark early in
the morning of the 11th on H.M.S. "Curlew", and should proceed to Stanley where I was to meet him and take him for a drive and a walk. He was then to rejoin the "Curlew" and return to his
ship.
Unfortunately late in the day I learnt that it was publicly known that His Imperial Highness would land at or
near Stanley. I informed Count Chinda of this fact at dinner time
and he expressed the view that it would be better to cancel the proposed arrangement altogether. I do not myself think that there would have been any danger in carrying it out but of course it was impossible to take the risk. Fortunately I was able to
suggest an expedient which made it possible to overcome the fears of the Prince's suite. It was arranged that the Marquis Komatsu,
a Naval lieutenant of about the same age as the Prince, should
land openly, accompanied by the Prince's Aide-de-camp, at Blake
Pier, where he was met by my Aide-de-camp in my car, which is
urmistakeable owing to its having a Crown in place of a number-
plate. He then proceeded to Government House, where I met him
and motored with him, carefully placing him on my right hand so
that he might be supposed to be the Prince, some miles along the
road towards Stanley. Meanwhile the Prince accompanied by Prince
Kanin, Count Chinda and some members of his suite landed privately
in the Commodore's barge in the Naval Yard where he was received by Mr. Ponsonby Fane. The Imperial party was then driven in
borrowed care to the point on the road where I and the pseudo-
Prince were waiting for him. As Mr. Ponsonby Fane is habitually seen in company with Japanese there was no danger that anybody would assume that he was on this occasion accompanied by the
Prince. On meeting me the Prince changed into my car and we
proceeded to Taitam Tuk where we walked for about an hour on the
secluded roads around the reservoir. Meanwhile the "Curlew" with
the rest of the suite and the Vice-Admiral proceeded to Stanley, where we embarked. His Imperial Highness lunched with me on
board