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Bernarr Macfadden's porno-Graphic, as usual, made the most striking announcement of all. Its editors had evidently, at some time or other, observed the consummate effect a notorious woman can achieve by appearing at the loosest party of the season dressed, not as everyone expects in more daring decolleté than ever, but in a quiet gown with long sleeves, high bodice, sweeping train. The Graphic anticipated the Snyder murder trial with a public proposal that all Manhattan's newspapers be called to conference by the state crim? commission; that they all agree to limit their daily courtroom reports to 500 words. There was no catch in the offer—the Graphic would be the first to curtail its sensations, despite its disagreement with the crime commission's theory about crime news. The Graphic meant the space limit to include all media, fake photographs and drawings as well as writing. The Graphic would even consent to a proportionate space allotment, to let the standard-size journals publish 1,000 words or 1,500, whatever might be the equivalent of 500 words in a tabloid. It was an offer in thorough good faith—which the Graphic well knew would never be accepted. Having accomplished her triumphal entry, the notorious lady discards her robe of dignity and revels in the kind of costume she really likes best. Having let off a lot of loud sincerity, and furnished itself with blank ammunition to fire at the crime commission in future, the Graphic assembled its most unscrupulous picture fakers and prepared to make its Hall-Mills, "Peaches" Browning, Rhinelander and Valentino exploits look amateurish.
Other Manhattan dailies were not, however, wholly eclipsed by the Graphic's grandstand play. The cohorts of Publisher Roy W. Howard were on their toes for this first great chance to do something, in his lately-purchased Telegram, that would show Manhattan what the 25 other Scripps-Howard chain newspapers mean to the vast U. S. hinterland. The Telegram devoted whole pages to its announcement that bearded little Will Durant (who once studied to be a priest but later became a pagan philosopher) had consented to "analyze the amazing details contained in this story of a wife's alleged intrigues. . . . And into this strange web, Durant will weave some of the philosophy of life that has made him an outstanding figure in world— literature." Associated with Analyst Durant were two smart young women—Maurine Watkins, author of a murdery play, Chicago; and Jane Dixon, "who well deserves the title of 'New York's leading newspaper woman' "—a snappy "smart-cracker" and an infallible "sob-sister."
The Hearstian Journal fell back on the loud-speaking, blatant Rev. John Roach Straton and his Fundamentalist fulminating. "Appalling wave of vice and crime," it paid him to rave beforehand. "Menacing the very foundations of our republic . . . the moral and spiritual lessons . . . dangers should be unveiled. . . . An earnest note of warning should be sounded . . . etc. etc."
The Times, World, Herald Tribune made no great announcements but arranged carefully for front-row seats and complete court transcripts, ready to play up the story to the last hot slug. Of the quality press, Cyrus Hermann Kotz-schmar Curtis' Evening Post was the only one to tumble over itself for a "feature," and