America 1929: John F. Kennedy, the Great Writer

the next day.

New York mornings begin with the cries of newsboys.

"Breaking news! Breaking news! The governor attends a satirical performance, while the mayor is barred from entering!"

"The New York Times! George Bernard Shaw praises young playwright!"

"The World! Mayor Walker threatens theater owners, Roosevelt intervenes on the spot!"

The newsstand on the street corner was packed with people, all eager to buy today's newspaper. The owner was all smiles; by eight o'clock, the first batch of newspapers had sold out.

Arthur sat at his desk with seven or eight newspapers spread out in front of him.

The New York Times' coverage was relatively restrained, with the headline "Governor Roosevelt attends Greenwich Village play premiere."

The article provides a detailed account of last night's events, focusing on the attendance of Roosevelt and Shaw, while offering a brief description of the play's content, stating only that "it was a satirical comedy about government bureaucracy."

But even The New York Times did not overlook the detail that Walker was turned away.

The article states in the middle:

New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker arrived at the theater after the performance had started, but was unable to enter because he had not purchased a ticket in advance.

During a brief altercation with the theater operator, Mr. Walker threatened to revoke the theater's operating license, but was immediately stopped by Governor Roosevelt.

The New York World was less polite.

The front-page headline read, "Governor supports art freedom, mayor furious," accompanied by a photo.

Walker stood at the theater entrance, his face ashen, while through the open doors, he could see Roosevelt sitting in his seat, turning his head to look at him.

The photographer's angle was so clever that it made the photo dramatic. Walker looks like a thief caught red-handed, while Roosevelt looks like a dignified judge.

The article writes:

When New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker attempted to use his power to suppress art criticism, he encountered an even greater power. Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt silenced the usually domineering mayor with a single sentence.

The New York Herald Tribune focused its attention on George Bernard Shaw.

The title is "George Bernard Shaw: This is the best play I have ever seen in America".

The article quotes George Bernard Shaw's words during an interview after the performance:

"I've seen too many self-important political dramas in London that tell the audience what to think and what to do. But truly great dramas should raise questions, not give answers. Mr. Kennedy did just that."

These words were repeatedly quoted by major newspapers, making Arthur an overnight sensation in New York's cultural scene.

But what truly ignited public opinion was the New York Mirror.

This tabloid is known for its celebrity gossip and sex scandals. Although its circulation is not as large as that of The New York Times, its influence among ordinary citizens is not to be underestimated.

Its readership is mainly the working class and lower-middle-class citizens, who enjoy reading about scandals involving the rich and famous.

Bernal McFadden, the owner of The New York Mirror, is a shrewd businessman who knows exactly what kind of news will attract readers during an economic crisis.

The extravagance of the rich, the corruption of the powerful, and the scandals of celebrities—these all guarantee sales.

Today, the front page headline of the New York Mirror is: "Why is the mayor absent? Because he's busy chasing after female celebrities!"

The accompanying photo is a blurry but clear enough picture, taken in a private room at a nightclub.

In the photo, Walker is seen embracing a blonde woman, both holding champagne glasses and laughing happily. The woman's face is clearly visible; it is none other than the popular actress Betty Compton.

The article begins with a strong sense of irony:

Where was our esteemed mayor when unemployed workers in New York lined up in the cold to receive welfare?

The answer is: He was in a nightclub, with Broadway star Betty Compton in his arms, drinking a $300 bottle of champagne.

According to our reporter's investigation, Mayor Walker arrived at the nightclub at 8 p.m. last night, booked the most luxurious private room, and invited several business friends and two female celebrities.

They drank, danced, chatted and laughed, and indulged in a life of extravagance and debauchery.

At 9:30 p.m., Walker’s political advisor, Charles Dela, rushed into the box and told him that Governor Roosevelt had appeared at the Provincetown Theatre.

Walker rushed over in a panic, only to be turned away because he didn't have a ticket.

A nightclub employee who wished to remain anonymous told our reporter:

"The mayor had drunk quite a bit, and there were wine stains on his suit. He left in a hurry and didn't even pay the bill, which Mr. Dilla paid later when he came back. The bill came to $850, including two bottles of Louis XIII cognac and one bottle of Dom Pérignon champagne."

Eight hundred and fifty dollars. That's equivalent to an average worker's annual income.

At this very moment, more than 200,000 people in New York are unemployed, and tens of thousands of families are starving.

The city government's relief station can only provide a limited amount of bread and soup each day, and many people queue for hours without getting any.

This is our mayor. When the city faces a crisis, he squanders his wealth in nightclubs. While the governor and world-class artists are supporting artistic creation, he's in a private box with a female celebrity in his arms.

Ironically, Mayor Walker is a married man. His wife, Janet Allen, a respected socialite, is currently alone in their Fifth Avenue mansion.

Meanwhile, her husband was flirting with another woman at a nightclub.

Citizens of New York, do you think this mayor deserves your vote?

Do you think a mayor like this can lead the city out of crisis?

This newspaper calls on the city council to immediately launch an investigation to examine whether Mayor Walker's conduct meets the ethical standards for public officials.

New York needs a responsible leader, not a playboy who only knows how to seek pleasure!

Even though Arthur had anticipated that Walker would be heavily criticized, he never expected the New York Mirror to dig up such a bombshell.

Isabella placed the prepared egg sandwich in front of him and said:

"That's how the New York Mirror always is. They specialize in digging up this kind of scoop. And look, they even found out the bill amount."

Arthur nodded: "Eight hundred and fifty dollars. In the context of the economic crisis, that number is particularly glaring. People will think that the mayor is using their tax money to enjoy himself."

Arthur flipped through several other newspapers and found that although the wording was not as strong as that of the New York Mirror, they all basically reported on Walker's activities at the nightclub, indicating that they had received information from the same source.

The Brooklyn Eagle's headline read, "The mayor is partying while the city starves."

The New York Post's headline read, "Walker's priorities: champagne or unemployment benefits?"

Even the relatively conservative New York Sun published a commentary titled "Mayors Need to Rethink Their Duties."