Personal History

I protested that I had to finish the toast, but the response was, ""They want you now.'' I finally got the idea that it was really important, wound up the toast quickly, and took the call in a corner of the library. I was sitting on a small sofa near the open door, and Paul Ignatius [the Post's president] stood near me. Fritz [Beebe] was on the other end of the line. He told me about the argument between the lawyers and the editors over whether to publish the next day, outlining the reasoning on both sides, and concluded by saying, ""I'm afraid you are going to have to decide.''

I asked Fritz for his own view; since he was so editorial-minded and so decent, I knew I could trust his response. I was astonished when he said, ""I guess I wouldn't.''

I asked for time to think it over, saying, ""Can't we talk about this? Why do we have to make up our minds in such haste when the Times took three months to decide?''

At this point, Ben and the editors got on various extensions at Ben's house. I asked them what the big rush was, suggesting we at least think about this for a day. No, Ben said, it was important to keep up the momentum of publication and not let a day intervene after getting the story. He also stressed that by this time the grapevine knew we had the Papers. Journalists inside and outside were watching us.

I could tell from the passion of the editors' views that we were in for big trouble on the editorial floor if we didn't publish. I well remember [editorial-page editor] Phil Geyelin's response when I said that deciding to publish could destroy the paper. ""Yes,'' he agreed, ""but there's more than one way to destroy a newspaper.''

At the same time that the editors were saying, seriatim, ""You've got to do it,'' Paul Ignatius was standing beside me, repeating--each time more insistently--""Wait a day, wait a day.''