'You must not do this. You are tf member of the
Associated Press, and the honor of that organization is
pledged not to circulate the Message until to-morrow
afternoon.*

'Well, really I' was my diplomatic rejoinder. I was
completely mystified, but inclined to await develop-
ments. 'What your organization may have undertaken
to do or not to do is of little consequence to this jour-
nal, and, I assure you, will not influence it.*

'But you have the Message in this office and are put-
ting it in type/

'Suppose we have the Message ; what then ?* I ex-
cused myself, ostensibly to consult with the night edi-
tor, but in reality to catch my breath and decide what
to do, for Mr. G. Washington Smith had been hoaxed.
The Herald did not have and did not tr^tot to have
the President's Message ahead of its distribution by the



278 News Hunting on Three Continents

Associated Press. After a few turns in the library*
room, I returned to Manager Smith* sajring that plans
already made for the night could not be changed, even
if the Association were 'beaten.'

'Very well/ exclaimed the visitor, in high dudgeon.
'My only recourse is to send out the Message to-night,
even at the expense of breaking faith with the Presi-
dent. All our customers must be properly protected.'

This was what had been hoped for. Foreman Hen-
derson was directed to be in readiness to set an extra
page at a late hour, as a Message from the President
was coming.
At one o'clock in it came 1 I carried the 'flimsy' to
the composing-room and sat down beside the copy-
cutter to sub-head it, sheet by sheet, as it went out.
