Page:Diamonds To Sit On.pdf/169

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THE AUTOMOBILE CLUB

157

' Not less than a hundred and fifty.’ ‘ AU right. If you’ve got solutions to problems we’U let you have sixty.’ The chess expert did his best to persuade the sub­ editor to give him another thirty lines, but he was repulsed. The reporter Persitsky came in. ‘ Do you want the impressions from the Plenum ? ’ ‘ Of course ! ’ shouted the sub-editor. ‘ They spoke two nights ago.’

  • Well, we’ve got the report and two sketches, but

they won’t give us any space.’ ‘ Why won’t they give you any space ? Who won’t give you space ? What’s the matter with them aU ? Are they going mad ? ’ The sub-editor got up and went to the compositors’ room. Persitsky followed him and men from the adver­ tising department hurried after him. Behind them came a man carrying a walnut chair which had been bought for the editor at an auction. A few minutes later the sub-editor returned and sat down again to read the leading article, but he was immediately interrupted by the artist. ‘ Ah ! ’ said the sub-editor. ‘ That’s splendid. I believe you have some idea of a cartoon based on the last telegram received from Germany ? ’ ‘ Yes, I think something like this would do : a steel helmet and then the general situation in Germany.’ ' All right. You do what you like and then bring it to me.’ The artist went away. He took a square piece of Whatman paper and sketched a lean dog. He drew a German spiked helmet on its head and then he began to write. He wrote ‘ Germany ’ on the dog’s body and on its tail he wrote ' The Danzig Corridor ’ ; ‘ Dreams of Revenge ’ on its jaws ’; ‘ The Dawes Plan ’ on the collar, and ‘ Stresemann ’ on its outstretched tongue. Next, he drew Poincar6 standing in front of the dog and