"Goose Chase"

Two years ago Clare Sheridan, British sculptress, in her book, My American Diary, wrote:

I dined with Maxine Elliott, and had on one side of me Mr, George Creel, and on the other Mr. Swope. The latter is the editor of The World . . . There is a type of American! What force, what energy ("dynamic," I said of him to some one. "No--cyclonic!" they corrected). I asked him, when I was able to get a word in edgeways, how he managed to revitalize, he seemed to me to expend so much energy. He said he got it back from me, from every one, that what he gives out he gets back; it is a sort of circle. He was so vibrant that I found my heart thumping with excitement, as though I had drunk champagne, which I hadn't! He talks a lot, but talks well; is never dull. Last week Mr. Swope--Herbert Bayard Swope--newspaperman extraordinary and editor plenipotentiary, put over a coup. Swope, executive editor of The New York World, went to Washington in a private car, trailing substantial citizens and potent business men in his wake. He returned home jingling the Democratic National Convention of 1924 in his pocket. The story of that event really began 42 years and 10 days earlier, when the cyclonic Swope bounded into the world at St. Louis. He traveled the reportorial route via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chicago Tribune, The New York Herald to the "city desk" of The New York World. The War came and he went to Germany for two years as correspondent for the World. He wrote a book, Inside the German Empire. When he came back, the city desk was no longer a large enough stage for his strenuous action and roaring language. The desk of the Managing Editor was likewise too small, beside being occupied. So a new title, Executive Editor, was created for him. He took charge of the entire paper, except the editorial page, over which the late Frank I. Cobb (TIME, Dec. 31) presided. He took, too, a spacious office, at the far end of the city room, through the length of which he strides like a hurricane, swinging his cane, and shaking the floor with the weight of his stal- wart frame. Last May, eight months ago, Mr. Swope decided that the Democrats would hold their 1924 Convention in Manhattan. At once the idea became "front page stuff" on the World. The rest of Manhattan smiled, knowing that the home of Tammany and Wall Street was not a convention town. But Swope had only begun. He gave a private luncheon at the Biltmore. For guests he had Frank Munsey, owner of three metropolitan papers, Morgan J. O'Brien (former Presiding Justice Appellate Division, N. Y. Supreme Court), A. C. Pearson, George Edgar Smith, "Tex" Rickard (fight promoter), Joseph P. Day (real estate man and auctioneer) and others of equal prominence. Why did these men come at his call? Perhaps the answer is Great Neck, L. I., where Swope has his home. There he holds great croquet parties. There he gathers his disciples--Arthur Krock, F. P. Adams, Heywood Broun and other able members of the World staff, a few millionaires, a few artists, the centurions of the "400," an occasional ambassador. With them as gallery he demonstrates his remarkable proficiency with the croquet mallet, always holding the center of the stage With the loudest voice, the most daring epithet, the most active mind. His luncheon guests came. He picked three of them--Judge O'Brien, Joseph P. Day, George E. Smith to head committees -- "Self -Appointed Citizens' Committees." They, substantial citizens, laid the groundwork and made the preparations. Tammany was not included on the Committees, but Charles F. Murphy, Tammany boss, was doing his bit on the side. Money was raised. Then came the trip to Washington in a private car. It was a glorious party. There was Judge O'Brien with a certified check for $150,000 in his pocket. There was the Judge's son, young Kenneth O'Brien, potentially famed lawyer and Secretary of the National Democratic Club. There was the Acting Mayor of New York City. There was Tex Rickard, A. C. Pearson, George E. Smith. There too was Joseph P. Day, driving auctioneer who, semi-cyclonic, sells lots out-of-doors in January in his shirt sleeves. There, of course, was Swope, voluble, roaring, dominating the scene. Boss Murphy of Tammany was not present--he had gone on ahead. But every other leader of the movement was there, and most of them looked forward to certain failure on "Swope's wild goose chase." Swope, striding about, exclaimed: "I'd rather put this over than anything else I ever did! They think I can't do it!" The evening before the National Committee met, the New Yorkers had dinner at the Shoreham Hotel. Swope sat with Charles Michelson, Charles S. Hand and John J. Leary, three of the World's ablest correspondents, at his elbow. Every few minutes he would turn to one or another of these correspondents : "Hand--call up New Hampshire!--[the New Hampshire National Committeemen]. Find out how they are going to vote!" A few minutes later the correspondent would come back, often with an unfavorable report. Swope was active among the delegates until the small hours of the morning, scolding, threatening, cajoling -- and nearly always successful. Next day the Democratic National Committee heard the bids and then adjourned for lunch. San Francisco had bid $200,000 to Manhattan's $150,000. The other contesting cities were Chicago and St. Louis. After lunch the Committee reassembled. Each of the cities was allowed 25 minutes to present its case. Manhattan was last in order. Acting Mayor Hulbert said: "We have grown to be a cosmopolitan city of 6,000,000 people." Judge O'Brien said: "We are prepared to increase our offer by $55,000, which makes the cash offer $205,000." (Swope had been goading the wealthy and public-spirited Rick-The Committee took three roll calls. On the first two, Manhattan led with San Francisco second. After the second ballot Boss Brennan of Illinois withdrew Chicago's bid out of friendship for Boss Murphy (who remained secluded in the Shoreham three blocks away). On the third ballot Manhattan was chosen with 57 votes out of 103. Somebody called: "Speech, Swope! Speech! Speech!" Swope rose: "This isn't the last time the Democratic Convention . is coming to New York. You're going to like New York so well that the Convention will come to New York from now on-- every four years." That night there was another dinner --a dinner of rejoicing at the Shoreham. Boss Murphy of Tammany almost forgot that The World, although Democratic in politics, is Tammany's foe. He, who never speaks in public, rose and carefully said: "I want to propose a toast--a toast to that able and active man, Herbert Bayard Swope." Public Ledger (Philadelphia) : "The victory in the convention fight belongs not so much to any candidate as to the influence of The New York World in the Democratic Party, and the energy expended by Herbert Bayard Swope, that paper's executive editor, who started out some months ago to take the convention to New York and has done so." New York Tribune: "An additional bouquet belongs to The New York World, which originated the proposal to bring the convention to New York and led the fight in its behalf." The New York Times: "Chief credit for bringing the National Democratic Convention to this city goes of right to The New York World."