At the beginning of 1884, Gordon had no interest in the Sudan and had just been hired to work as an officer with the newly established Congo Free State. Gordon – despite or rather because of his war hero status – disliked publicity and tried to avoid the press when he was in Britain. While staying with his sister in Southampton, Gordon received an unexpected visitor, namely William Thomas Stead, the editor of "The Pall Mall Gazette", with whom Gordon reluctantly agreed to do an interview. Gordon wanted to talk about the Congo, but Stead kept on pressing him to talk about the Sudan; finally, after much prompting on Stead's part, Gordon opened up and attacked Gladstone's Sudan policy, coming out for an intervention to defeat the Mahdi. Gordon offered up a 19th-century anticipation of the domino theory, claiming: The danger arises from the influence which the spectacle of a conquering Mahometan Power established close to your frontiers will exercise upon the population which you govern. In all the cities of Egypt it will be felt that what the Mahdi has done they may do; and, as he has driven out the intruder, they may do the same. Stead published his interview on 9 January 1884 on the front page of the "Pall Mall Gazette" alongside the leader (editorial) he had written entitled "Chinese Gordon for the Sudan". Urban wrote: "With this leader, William Stead's real motive in going to Southampton revealed itself at last. As to who tipped him off that the general would be staying here for just a couple of nights, we can only speculate".