Poldavia's Lamidaeff

When 28 French Republican deputies sat down to their breakfast coffee and croissants* early last week, each found a large crinkly letter from Geneva in his morning's mail. Innocent and refreshed after a sound night's sleep, not one Republican deputy saw anything untoward in the fact that the large crinkly letters were embossed on the stationery of "Foreign Minister Lamidaeff, of the Kingdom of Poldavia." They saw nothing strange in the fact that Poldavians were in financial difficulties, and they found Minister Lamidaeff most thoughtful in not asking for money, but merely for an expression of "moral support" from the Deputies in his campaign to aid Poldavian sufferers. "We believe that our interests were betrayed at the Peace Conference," wrote Poldavian Lamidaeff. "and we appeal to you as a member of the French Parliament to do your utmost to help us in this our hour of need. The whole nation of Poldavia and its noble monarch who disregarded personal safety in 1916, and joined France in her War for justice and righteousness, pray you to remember our sacrifices."

What could be fairer than that? Legislators all over the world are always ready to write enthusiastic platitudes in favor of anything that sounds like a good cause. The wronged Poldavians seemed a very good cause. Each of the 28 deputies sat down at his desk and pledged his moral support to "Foreign Minister Lamidaeff of Poldavia."

None of the 28 deputies noticed that the old Poldavian name of Lamidaeff might read "I'Ami d'A. F."--"the friend of A. F.," "the friend of L'Action Franc,aise" famed royalist newspaper of which the editor is Leon Daudet, bon vivant, practical jokester, son of famed Author Alphonse Daudet (Tartarin de Tarascon), exile from the republic he has so consistently lampooned (TIME, June 13, 1927, et seq.). Three days after the 28 gullible deputies replied to the "Poldavian Minister," a special edition of L'Action Franc,aise appeared.

quot;People of France," wrote exiled Editor Daudet, who once escaped from La Sante prison through a hoaxed release order telephoned from the office of the Minister of the Interior, "--People of France, how much longer will you permit such ignorant deputies to represent you before the world? Here are 28 of your elected representatives, and they actually believe there is a Kingdom of Poldavia, and that Lamidaeff is its Foreign Minister. Lamidaeff, c'est moi!"

Thus 28 rueful French deputies discovered that Poldavia and the Poldavians, their Foreign Minister and embossed stationery, were just another hoax of Royalist Daudet and his followers, the Camelots du Roi ("hawkers of the King"). Their object again was to prove that all Republicans are either imbeciles or ignoramuses.

In high glee at the success of their latest hoax. Editor Daudet reprinted all 28 letters to the Minister of Poldavia.

"My time, my heart, my sword if necessary is at the disposal of your noble nation," wrote the most impressionable of the deputy dupes.

*In Paris, last week, bakers celebrated the 400th anniversary of the croissant, famed French breakfast roll. Croissants were first made in Vienna during a Turkish siege. Bakers, in their kitchens, heard Turks tunneling beneath the fortifications, gave the alarm, saved the city. To celebrate, they shaped their rolls like Turkey's crescent.