needle when he felt occasion warranted. In the past, Irvin had given a good deal of sympathetic coverage to both Ralph Nader and Emerson Vale. Elroy Braithwaite, the Product Development vice-president, dropped into a vacant armchair in the comfortable lounge area where they had assembled. He asked amiably, "Who'll begin .”
Braithwaite, known among intimates as "The Silver Fox" because of his mane of meticulously groomed gray hair, wore a tightly cut Edwardian mode suit and sported another personal trademark-enormous cuff links. He exuded a style matching his surroundings. Like all offices for vice-presidents and above, this one had been exclusively designed and furnished; it had African avodire wood paneling, brocaded drapes, and deep broadloom underfoot. Any man who attained this eminence in an auto company worked long and fiercely to get here. But once arrived, the working conditions held pleasant perquisites including an office like this, with adjoining dressing room and sleepin g q uarters, plus-on the floor above-a personal dining room, as well as a steam bath and masseur, available at any time. "Perhaps the lady should lead off .”
It was Jake Earlham, perched on a window seat behind them. "All right," the Newsweek brunette said. "What's the latest weak alibi for not launching a meaningful program to develop a non - pollutant steam engine for cars .”
"We'r e fresh out of alibis," the Silver Fox said. Braithwaite's expression had not changed; only his voice was a shade sharper. "Besides, the job's already been done-by a guy named George Stephenson-and we don't think there's been a lot of significant progress since .”
The AP man had put on thin-rimmed glasses; he looked through them impatiently. "Okay, so we've got the comedy over. Can we have some some straight questions and answers now .”
"I think we should," Jake Earlham said. The p.r. head added apologetically, "I should have remembered. The wire services have an early deadline for the East Coast afternoon papers .”
"Thank you," AP said. He addressed Elroy Braithwaite. "Mr. Vale made a statement last night that the auto companies are guilty of conspiracy and some other things because they haven't made serious efforts to develop an alternative to the internal combustion engine. He also says that steam and electric engines are available now. Would you care to comment on that .”
The Silver Fox nodded. "What Mr. Vale said about the engines being available now is true. There art! various kinds; most of them work, and we have several ourselves in our test center. What Vale didn't say-either because it would spoil his argument or he doesn't know-is that there still isn't a hope in hell of making a steam or electric engine for cars, at low cost, low weight, and good convenience, in the foreseeable future .”
"How long’ s that .”
"Through the 1970s. By the 1980s there'll be other new developments, though the internal combustion engine-an almost totally non - polluting one-still may dominate .”
The Wall Street Journal interjected, "But there've been a lot of news stories about all kinds of engines here and now . . .”
"You're damn right," Elroy Braithwaite said, .and most of 'em. should be in the comics section. If you'll excuse my saying so, newspaper writers are about the most gullible people afloat. Maybe they want to be; I guess, that way, the stories they write are more interesting. But let some inventor-never mind if he's a genius or a kook come up with a one-only job, and turn the press loose on him. What happens? Next day all the news stories say this 'may' be the big breakthrough, this 'may' be the way the future's going. Repeat that a few times so the public reads it often, and everybody thinks it must be true, just the way newspaper people, I suppose, believe their own copy if they write enough of it. It's that kind of hoopla that's made a good many in this country convinced they ’ ll have a steam or electric car, or maybe a hybrid,
Braithwaite, known among intimates as "The Silver Fox" because of his mane of meticulously groomed gray hair, wore a tightly cut Edwardian mode suit and sported another personal trademark-enormous cuff links. He exuded a style matching his surroundings. Like all offices for vice-presidents and above, this one had been exclusively designed and furnished; it had African avodire wood paneling, brocaded drapes, and deep broadloom underfoot. Any man who attained this eminence in an auto company worked long and fiercely to get here. But once arrived, the working conditions held pleasant perquisites including an office like this, with adjoining dressing room and sleepin g q uarters, plus-on the floor above-a personal dining room, as well as a steam bath and masseur, available at any time. "Perhaps the lady should lead off .”
It was Jake Earlham, perched on a window seat behind them. "All right," the Newsweek brunette said. "What's the latest weak alibi for not launching a meaningful program to develop a non - pollutant steam engine for cars .”
"We'r e fresh out of alibis," the Silver Fox said. Braithwaite's expression had not changed; only his voice was a shade sharper. "Besides, the job's already been done-by a guy named George Stephenson-and we don't think there's been a lot of significant progress since .”
The AP man had put on thin-rimmed glasses; he looked through them impatiently. "Okay, so we've got the comedy over. Can we have some some straight questions and answers now .”
"I think we should," Jake Earlham said. The p.r. head added apologetically, "I should have remembered. The wire services have an early deadline for the East Coast afternoon papers .”
"Thank you," AP said. He addressed Elroy Braithwaite. "Mr. Vale made a statement last night that the auto companies are guilty of conspiracy and some other things because they haven't made serious efforts to develop an alternative to the internal combustion engine. He also says that steam and electric engines are available now. Would you care to comment on that .”
The Silver Fox nodded. "What Mr. Vale said about the engines being available now is true. There art! various kinds; most of them work, and we have several ourselves in our test center. What Vale didn't say-either because it would spoil his argument or he doesn't know-is that there still isn't a hope in hell of making a steam or electric engine for cars, at low cost, low weight, and good convenience, in the foreseeable future .”
"How long’ s that .”
"Through the 1970s. By the 1980s there'll be other new developments, though the internal combustion engine-an almost totally non - polluting one-still may dominate .”
The Wall Street Journal interjected, "But there've been a lot of news stories about all kinds of engines here and now . . .”
"You're damn right," Elroy Braithwaite said, .and most of 'em. should be in the comics section. If you'll excuse my saying so, newspaper writers are about the most gullible people afloat. Maybe they want to be; I guess, that way, the stories they write are more interesting. But let some inventor-never mind if he's a genius or a kook come up with a one-only job, and turn the press loose on him. What happens? Next day all the news stories say this 'may' be the big breakthrough, this 'may' be the way the future's going. Repeat that a few times so the public reads it often, and everybody thinks it must be true, just the way newspaper people, I suppose, believe their own copy if they write enough of it. It's that kind of hoopla that's made a good many in this country convinced they ’ ll have a steam or electric car, or maybe a hybrid,
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