§1. What are public relations? We have social relations, industrial relations, private and even poor relations, but what are public relations? We have them like hives and chilblains, but should we admit the fact? Should we try to get rid of them? Indeed, we have had them for a long time, though the phrase is relatively new and has got into few dictionaries or encyclopedias. But, if these public relations are not really upstart conditions, then perhaps they are respectable and may be spoken of.