Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at Suffolk Street

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at Suffolk Street is an article first published in the magazine Light on 3 november 1917.


Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Psychical Research

Light (3 november 1917, p. 347)

The aerial dangers did not prevent the assembling of a large audience at the Salon of the Royal Society of British Artists on Thursday evening, October 25th, when, with Sir Oliver Lodge in the chair, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle delivered an address entitled "The New Revelation." Indeed, so packed was the hall that it was clear that had the times been normal many would have been unable to obtain admission.

The Acting-President of the Alliance (Mr. Henry With all) explained, on opening the meeting, that when Sir Arthur consented to address the Alliance it occurred to him that it would be a good thing to ask Sir Oliver Lodge to preside, and he was kind enough to agree to do so. That was how it was they had the pleasure of his company with them that evening.

Sir Oliver Lodge said : It was with pleasure I agreed to take the chair for my friend, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is a mistake for a chairman to give any part of the lecture. (Laughter.) The title is "The New Revelation," and I shall leave him to open it as he chooses, but I am sure you will wish me to welcome in your name a man whose services to this country are well known. We remember with pride his work in South Africa. We think of his mission there and of his writings on that at one time hostile but now friendly and co-operative dominion ; and we hope that his influence has contributed in some measure to bring about the excellent understanding of which we are now so heartily proud. (Applause.)

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle then delivered the address of the evening. He spoke for considerably over an hour and was heard with close attention throughout, some of his more effective points being frequently greeted with applause. There are reasons why a verbatim report of the address cannot appear just now, but we hope to give a full summary in the next and succeeding issues of Light, together with a report of Sir Oliver Lodge's remarks at the close.

Owing to the circumstances under which the meeting was held, it was deemed advisable to bring the proceedings to a close as early as possible, so that there was no discussion ; but Dr. Abraham Wallace expressed the thanks of the meeting to the chairman and the lecturer, and added a pleasant little reminiscence of his Edinburgh University days when, as he mentioned, he had narrowly escaped having Sir A. Conan Doyle under his tuition.