The Unrepentant Northcliffe

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia
The Unrepentant Northcliffe (Overseas Publishing Co., march 1921)

The Unrepentant Northcliffe is a book written by Ferdinand Hansen published by Overseas Publishing Co. (Hamburg) in march 1921. The book includes a letter by Arthur Conan Doyle and answer letter by the author.

A reply to the London "Times" of October 19, 1920 by the "Unrepentant Hun" Ferdinand Hansen of New York.



Letter

The Unrepentant Northcliffe (Overseas Publishing Co., march 1921, p. 42)

Telegrams: Crowborough, Nat. Tel. No. 77

Windlesham, Crowborough, Sussex.
Feb 12/20

Sir:

Your little book will have an effect for evil both here and in America. There was a tendency to be sorry for Germany and to soften the peace terms, but such signs that her people are unchanged will influence our activities.

I only opened the book in three places and came upon a lie in each page. The first was that the German graves had been desecrated. I was myself in Peronne in September 1918 and saw the graves in perfect order. Second that 26,000 Boer women and children died of hunger. No Boer woman or child died of hunger, though many Boers and British, both in camps and towns died of a great scarlet fever epidemic. Third, that a Briton called a Corean a "nigger". That is impossible for no yellow man is ever called a nigger. It would not be sense.

Germany has largely brought all this trouble upon herself by lies. She will never get out of it until her people learn to understand and to tell the truth.

Yours truly,
ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE.