New York v. Chicago

As readers of the New York World know well, the cartoons by Will B. Johnstone are always absurd, usually funny. His method is to take a news item, carry it pictorially to a ludicrous conclusion. A fortnight ago, he came upon "Chicago offers prize for poster boosting its World's Fair in 1933," as his news item. His cartoon in the form of a poster, showed a dog-faced gunman leaning on a World's Fair building which was labeled "100% American-Thompson Hall."* The smoke of the gunman's gun spelled: CHICAGO WELCOMES YOU! Other gangsters, disguised as fountains, were at play. In the background, the British Empire Exhibits were burning down.

On seeing Mr. Johnstone's cartoon, Managing Editor Henry Justin Smith of the Chicago Daily News telegraphed the World asking whether the cartoon was representative of New York "sentiment."

The World replied that it had made no canvass of public sentiment, that the cartoon expressed only the view of Mr. Johnstone, a onetime Chicagoan. Then the World asked the News to wire 1,000 words on the "public excitement in Chicago" over it. The News obliged with quotes:

From Reuben H. Donnelley, potent publisher: "The only difference between gangsters in New York and in Chicago is that here we ostracize them, while in New York they make them club members."

From Robert E. Peacock, distinguished jeweler: "Ungentlemanly cartoon."

From Stuyvesant Peabody, coal tycoon:

"Sensible folk everywhere will not be influenced by this mean attack upon a great community."

And from many another Chicagoan.

The World printed the words of the Chicagoans as news, and then laughed editorially: "Now it would be idle to deny that when we sent our telegram asking for the 1,000 words, we did so in a very facetious humor. We did not believe that the cartoon had actually caused any excitement. . . . For we have been in this business a long time. We were established May 10, 1883, and forty-five years have taught us a great many things; and as we visualize the scene in the Chicago Daily News office when our telegram was received, it went something like this:

City Editor: Hey, Charlie!

Reporter: Give it to somebody else. I'm busy on this murder.

City Editor: I'll put Joe on the murder. Get on this. The New York World wants a thousand words on the excitement here about that poster cartoon. . . .

Reporter: Sure, I know who to call up. All right . . . Operator. Get me J. Chester Goofus, will you? You've got his number, I think. . . . Hello, I want Mr. Goofus. Mr. Goofus?

This is the News. We're getting up a little story on that New York World cartoon, Mr. Goofus, and we want to know what you think about it. No, not that one. The one we reprinted the other day, with the two yeggs shooting at each other. Yes, that's the one. . . . You haven't thought about it? Well, we're very anxious to have a statement from you, Mr. Goofus.

What's that? "Outrageous?" Oh. Not outrageous. "Discourteous?" Got you. "Affront to Chicago." Got you again. Yeah. Yeah. All right, Mr. Goofus, that's just what we wanted.

Much obliged. Thanks. Same to you.

"That, we imagine, is about how it went.

And it is obvious that if you call up enough J. Chester Goofuses, by the end of the afternoon you will have quite a lot of excitement. So you can easily see why we decline to get heated up."

*William Hale ("Big Bill") Thompson is mayor of Chicago.