Mr. A. L. Brown and Sir A. Conan Doyle

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia

Mr. A. L. Brown and Sir A. Conan Doyle is a letter written by Arthur Conan Doyle published in The Scotsman on 15 march 1904.


Mr. A. L. Brown and Sir A. Conan Doyle

The Scotsman (15 march 1904, p. 7)
Athenaeum Club, March 12, 1904.

Sir, — I observe that Mr A. L. Brown, of Galashiels, has challenged some figures used in my address to the Imperial Union on March 4th. In that speech I compared the results of German and British trade between 1881 and 1901, showing that ours increased 37,000,000, while the German increased 77,000,000. In some extraordinary way Mr Brown seems to have supposed that I meant that trade increased to that extent in a single year. I was speaking of a series, and comparing the first with the last, so as to show the total result of the twenty years. I think my meaning must be perfectly plain to any unbiassed mind.

I may add that my other figures as to the decline in particular trades are taken from Mr Bolt Schooling's tables in his book "Mr Chamberlain's Proposal." Mr Schooling is a statistician of repute, and an accountant by profession, and his figures have never been shaken. It is a weak case which defends itself by misrepresenting its opponent. — I am, &c.

ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE.