"War!"

The people of Hot Springs, Ark., were stirred one evening last fortnight as they had not been stirred since April 6, 1917. A pack of newsboys, coursing through the crowded streets at cinema time, were baying like gutter beagles, "UX-try, UX-tree-e! 'Clare War on Chine! M'rines goin' tuh Chine! UX-try! UX-tree! War wit' Chine!"

Farmers put their hands in their pockets, edged to the curb and stared at the gathering excitement. Town men deserted their girl friends to snatch for the gutter beagles' wares, across which screamed the headlines:

Extra Extra

WAR DECLARED ON CHINA

20,000 Marines on Way to China

Drug clerks peered out of plate glass windows. Traveling men shuffled out from hotel lobbies. Women grabbed for the newspapers, gasped, shrilled, chattered. The sidewalks were filled with agitated pedestrians fluttering scare-head newspapers under their noses.

Telephones began ringing in the offices of Mayor Leo P. McLaughlin and of the Hot Springs' newspapers New Era and Sentinel-Record.

"Is it true?"

"War with China?"

"Volunteers called for?"

"General Pershing?"

Chief of Police Joseph Wakelin soon saw that the "extra" was the work of no Hot Springs newspaper, that it was evidently a publicity stunt for the film, Tell It To The Marines, starring Lon Chaney, showing that night at a local theatre owned by one Sidney M. Nutt. Chief Wakelin instantly caused Mr. Nutt's press agent, one Charles Hefley, to be arrested.

In court, Mr. Nutt promised to pay back the pennies taken from citizens by the "extra" gutter beagles. Press Agent Hefley explained: "The stunt would not have gone over if the boys had given the papers away as circulars."

The Messrs. Nutt and Hefley were held for grand jury action charged with committing a fraud on the public, issuing fraudulent advertising.