Читать книгу Lost Voices of the Edwardians: 1901–1910 in Their Own Words - Max Arthur, Max Arthur - Страница 121

At the age of thirteen, I went up to the Admiralty for an interview to get into Osborne Naval College. The interview was designed, not to test your knowledge, but to see what kind of boy you were, and how you would react to an unexpected situation. I was asked all sorts of silly questions. The final question was asked over a blank map of Africa. One of the examiners, some old admiral, asked me what a particular river was. I said, ‘That's the Congo.’ He said, ‘No, my boy. That's the Niger.’ I said I was sure it was the Congo and someone else piped up and said he was sure it was the Niger. They went into a furious discussion and a porter brought in a proper map with the names on it and I took no further interest in the matter because my time was up. I never found out whether it was the Niger or the Congo. I didn't get into the Navy, but it was nothing to do with the interview. I failed on medical grounds.