Judge, 1923-08-11 · page 10 of 36
Judge — August 11, 1923 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This satirical article mocks Edward Bok's real prize offer for a world peace plan. Arthur Neale sarcastically proposes eliminating ambition as the solution—arguing that since ambition causes war, removing it would bring peace. His scheme: make everything free (food, clothes, love, entertainment) to render humanity lazy and passive. The joke targets the naïveté of peace proposals of the era. The cartoon above shows a chaotic, fantastical scene labeled "My Old Kentucky Home," likely illustrating the absurd consequences of such a utopian (or dystopian) scheme. The bottom illustration shows two figures with a caption about an "ostrich" laying an egg—crude humor emphasizing the foolishness of the proposal. The satire critiques both idealistic peace reformers and suggests their solutions are impractically disconnected from human nature. The tone is darkly comedic, suggesting that inducing mass laziness is neither achievable nor desirable, despite being logically absurd.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
How to Earn One Thousand Dollars by Arthur Neale H19 ne earthly use for one hun. myself, I dred) thousand dollars wish to dispel forever the suspicion that I am an uncharitable, self- centered person by placing this mentioned amount of money within the reach of all. And the hundred thousand I refer to (as may or may not have heen guessed) is the prize offered by a Mr. Edward Bok of Phila- delphia for a plan to perpetuate world peace. To the reader, the task of win- ning this prize may, upon first consideration, appear rather difli- cult; but really, to anyone possess- ing the least spark of intelligence, the matter is child’s play. Follow me closely, therefore, and the money is yours. From the thirty or forty schemes T have in mind, I will present that one which seems to me the sim- plest and most practicable. Hundred My Old Kentucky Home! in devising such a plan the init is, of course, to get down to the real, That cause, is Ambition. And ambi- Naturally, unquestionabl; tion exists in many forms. “You better put on yer lid, mister! fool ostrich thinks she laid an egg!” 8 _ It should be first said, however, that That dum therefore, if we remove the world we remove y ing is perfectly logical. Therefore lack the same thin; The reason- of ambition and world so clearly shown, being the only steps needed ate will be the erent. Free food. Free clothes. Free In fact—free everything; even, perhaps, free love. “Ina word— the whole idea is that everyone should be made lazy. If here and there obstinate, persistent. cases of energy. and ambition present themselves— they should be suffocated. Or, should such a prop little inhumane to dc quite acceptable a inject. bacilli of And if no such bacilli exist—the scientists sound a comicbooks.com