Prophecy and Finance (reply)
Prophecy — and Finance is a letter written by Charles Duguid published in The Pall Mall Gazette on 7 march 1914 as a reply to previous Arthur Conan Doyle's letters about Kent Coal : Kent Coal (26 february), Prophecy and Finance (5 march) and Kent Coal. Another Letter from Sir Conan Doyle (7 march).
Prophecy — and Finance
Sir, — In his rhapsody on Kent coal finance in your issue of February 26, Sir A. Conan Doyle indulged in a sneer or two at the financial columns of the newspapers for not encouraging investment in the shares of the Kent Coal Concessions Company; and on the following day I asked him, by your courtesy, to show why such investment should be encouraged; to say definitely whether he recommends people to buy Kent Coal Concessions shares or not, and, if he does, to give his reasons.
Sir A. Conan Doyle, in his rejoinder published in your columns to-day, does not answer my simple questions directly; he implies that they are "narrow questions of detail," and says, "Details of finance I must leave to those who are more competent than myself."
In this new light many of us will enjoy reading again Sir A. Conan Doyle's brilliantly fascinating panegyric as to the future of Kent coal. — Very faithfully yours,
CHARLES DUGUID.
Park Lodge, New Barnet, Herts,
March 5.
P.S. — I will not be drawn from my main point, but if Sir A. Conan Doyle will just stoop a little into a narrow question of detail, he will find that, in spite of his surmise, I have never lent my own high authority — as he calls it — to any of the criticisms he mentions as to there being no coal in Kent, and so on.
