Who is the greatest of all press agents, working while you sleep and even when you blunder?
The People!
The front page of the newspaper is therefore the arena of to-day!
To live in that page, all you have to do is to become News.
Once you become News all the king-making reporters of all the nation-making newspapers become your press agents. The public does the rest and pays all salaries.
Thrilled by his discovery, Hendrik called Max Onthemaker to one side and, with the air of a man risking one hundred and two millions of cash, said to him: "I have decided to make you chief counsel of my society. Your services will entitle you to represent me."
Never had man been so lavishly overpaid for breathing since the dawn of historical time. Hendrik went on, still imperial in bounty:
"I have in mind some great things. Every one of them will be worth as much space as the newspapers will give to this dinner. Do you see your chance?"
"I can't live on newspaper articles," began Max, elated but dissembling.
"You can die without them. Chronic obscurity; acute starvation," said Hendrik Rutgers in his clinical voice. "I not only do not propose to pay you a cent, but I expect you to pay all necessary expenses out of your privy purse without a murmur—unless said murmur is intended to express your legal opinion and your gratitude. I shall give you an opportunity to represent my society"—you would have sworn he was saying my regiment—"in actions involving the most famous names in America."