Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-18
PRINCESS SIGHS FOR
AMERICAN COLLEGE BOY
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

DELHI, January 10, 1912.
DRINCESS INDIRA, daughter of the
Gaekwar of Baroda, the second rul-
ing prince Of India who is acknowledged
to be the most beautiful of dusky royal
ty, longs to marry an American college
boy. Although she Is betrothed to the
fabulously wealthy Maharajah of Gwa-
prefers the freedom of the American
wife. and that her ideal in the male line
is the typical American university youth,
OF whom she saw a great deal during her
recent visit to the United States.
The confession of the princess was
made to Margaret Montgomery. an Amer
lean visitor at the durbar, who became
an intimate friend of the daughter of the
indiscreet ruler Of Baroda. Here is the
way Miss Montgomery tells it:
Il Travelled on the same boat from Eng
land as did the princess and We became
great friends. She is a wonderfully at
tractive girl, slightly under middle
height, with a round face, soft brown
eyes under long. straight lashes. and a
fair skin like that of most Hindu ladies
who lead secluded lives. Her hair is
quite curly and is made to shine with
unguents. One might almost say that
the little princess is inclined to plump
ness though the graceful dress known
as the Sarl covers all deficiencies, draped
as it can be in twenty odd ways and be-
ing of every color of the rainbow.
The sari is, in fact, the nearest So
luton to the eternal problem of Wom-
ans dress. In the zenana, or women s
quarters, nothing is worn under the sar,
though in society petticoat and a blouse
may be added by way of compromise.
Fifteen yards of material-crepe de chine
or soft silk edged with gold or passe-
menterie-and the costume is complete.
Her highness, like most of her coun-
trywomen, is a connoisseur in jewels. In
the palace of Baroda there are three
rooms filled with jewels. Use has made
her careless of the beautiful things she
wears. Ropes of pearls and emeraIds
adorn her and her diamond and emer-
aid earrings are SO heavy that they
pull down the lobes of her ears. Enor-
NOUS and beautiful diamond bracelets
meet quite casually on her arms little
painted glass bracelets.
The princess told me that Scindia, the
Maharajah of Gwalior, to whom she is
betrothed, has little taste in jewelry
Having heard one day that she had ad-
mired something in a shop window he
at once bought the whole showcase and
sent it to her hotel. She intends to take
charge of that domestic department in
future.
Native princes are certainly open to
the charge of being rather barbaric in
their idea Of splendor. When a distin-
guished visitor comes to Gw'alior the road
from the station to the palace is paved
with silver rupees. At the fort Of Gwalior
is a big we'll to which his subjects bring
their taxes and tribute in rupees and pour
them In by the CARLOAD. So the little
princess is not likely to want and will be
well endowed with worldly goods.
I'm Gwalior the strictest seclusion is
enforced on purdah ladies' Princess In
dira has lived like a European lady and
prison life even in a splendid zenana will
come very hard.
''She talked to me for hours about India
and it's customs These customs she has
20 Ahc fhn
her own country, where the streets have
to be cleared whenever she takes drive
abroad. There are consultations, OF course,
though they do not appeal to this eman-
cipated princess. Love Of dress and jew
elry is one, for the zenana settles the
question whether women dress to please
themselves or their male admirers. Zen
ana or purdah ladies are In fact very
They load themselves with jewels and
when they sit for photograph they
crowd on all their ornaments in order to
acquire that stiff and loaded appearance
which is the envy Of their sisters IN
bondage.
India, the princess told me. is the
paradise Of the poor relation. In Baroda
there are six or seven hundred uepen-
dents. cousins OF the tenth degree, who
claim the bounty Of the gaekwar. When
a man marries, dozens Of the brides rela-
ttves accompany her to her new home.
''Prinoess Ind'ra, who knows how to use
innocent filtration Is much sought after
by many men highly placed in English
society She confided to me the iact that
she loves American men and that the
college BOYS she met In the United States
were her ideal Of what youths should be.
Furthermore she told me almost tearfully
that she would rather live in Washtns ton
or New York than in gilded cage In the
great fort Of Gwalior."
The Maharajah Of Gwalior has wife.
but unfortunately has no children Ac-
cording to the customs Of the country he
can marry again, but it is not the prac-
tice in good Indian families to do so. The
whole affair is all the more astonishing
because Indira's father. the gaekwar. is
one Of the leading reformers of India and
has frequently denounced plural mar
riages.