He learnt Esperanto in 1902, having read about it on the Review of Reviews. In November 1903 he founded the gazette The Esperantist, thanks to a financial guarantee by William Thomas Stead; nevertheless, the magazine proved profitable. When the magazine was united with The British Esperantist, in January 1906, he joined its editorial committee. He was a strong supporter of the work to publish the New Testament in Esperanto.
