Life, 1898-04-07 · page 1 of 20
Life — April 7, 1898 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Cover, April 7, 1898 This satirical cover depicts a warship labeled "Yellow Rot" foundering on rocks, with an eagle flying nearby. The caption reads: "War or Peace—Who Cares Now? Life Has Fitted Out This Boat at Considerable Expense, But with Messrs. Pulitzer and Hearst in Command He Feels His Money Has Been Well Spent." The satire targets newspaper magnates **William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer**, whose sensationalist "yellow journalism" was blamed for drumming up American support for the Spanish-American War (beginning April 1898). Life mocks their rivalry and inflammatory reporting as recklessly endangering national interests—the warship's destruction symbolizing the war they helped provoke through irresponsible journalism prioritizing profit over truth.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XXxI. NEW YORK, APRIL 7, 1898. NUMBER 800. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mall Matter, Copyright, 1898, by Life Publishing Company. WAR OR PEACE~WHO CARES NOW? Life WAS PITTED OUT TMS HUAT AT CONSIDERAULE EXPENSE, BUT WITH UESSRS PULITZER AND HEARST IN COMMAND WE PEELS HIS MONEY HAN BEEN WELL SPENT comicbooks.com