Letter to Reginald J. Smith (10 march 1902)

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia

This letter was written by Arthur Conan Doyle on 10 march 1902 [1] to Reginald J. Smith, editor of Smith, Elder & Co..

The book Conan Doyle initially refers to "The American edition is out" was his sixpenny propaganda monograph The War in South Africa: Its Cause and Conduct.


Letter

My dear Smith

I will call about quarter to 11 on Tuesday morning if that will not be too early. If you should be a little late I can no doubt get some news from Mr. Howard.

The American Edition is out.

I had a letter from Holtermann complaining that he had had no proofs for 8 days. I therefore sent a stimulating wire to Bloch.

A very excellent German book "Recht und Unrecht im Boerenkrieg" [2] by one Hirtz [3] published by Dr. Edelheim, Berlin W. has just come into my hands. It is very good & seems cheap. I have written to the publishers to find the price if bought by the hundred. I thought that we might possibly care to send out a few hundred of them, if none have been sent out, for we should make more sure of our bird if we had two barrels. I have asked Angst if he would like a hundred.

Angst wants a recent Edition.

I wish you too would have a dozen copies sent to my brother in South Africa. Capt Hay Doyle, 79th Battery, Harrismith.

I shall be in London from Tuesday till Friday.

Yours ever

ACD.

Half a dozen copies sent to the OC [4] at Mafeking, klerksdorp, Rustenburg, Krugersdorp, Kroonstadt, Zeerust, Lichtenburg, Norwals Port, Betherlie, Middelsburg, Belfast, Komati, and Kroeningen would be very well spent.








  1. Undated, but "Rec'd 10 Mar 1902" is penciled in.
  2. "Right and Wrong in the Boer War", by Friederich Hertz, published by Edelheim in Berlin in 1902.
  3. Typo by ACD, he was referring to Friederich Hertz.
  4. Officers' Club?