On the 22nd of April I wired to Earl Granville: “For Heaven’s sake, help Gordon, Kartoum.”
And confirmed this despatch with the following letter:—
To the Right Honourable Lord Granville, London.
Berlin, 22nd April, 1884.
“My Lord,
“I have the honour to confirm my telegram of this afternoon: ‘For Heaven’s sake, help Gordon, Kartoum.’
“Your Lordship may be kind enough to excuse such a telegram.
“As I am an admirer of Gordon, and as he had the kindness to do his best to become liberated my brother Gottfried Roth, who is said prisoner of the Mahdi, and to whom your Lordship congratulated when he captured at Sint a band of slaveholders with several hundred slaves some years ago, I considered it a duty to do something too for Gordon. And so the idea to wire to your Lordship, who perhaps may be able in consequence of your powerful position to let have Gordon what he wants.
“I have the honour, &c., &c.”