Life, 1911-02-09 · page 15 of 44
Life — February 9, 1911 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct pieces of satire: **"Deus Ex Machina"** (top): A brief humorous column about mental attitude and morning drives, offering life advice. **"Door Slammed Again at Princeton"**: A short commentary on Professor Henry Van Dyke's resignation from Princeton University over disagreements with the institution. The satire notes that Princeton's internal disputes receive disproportionate public attention compared to similar conflicts at Columbia University. **"The Fashion of Armament"**: The main article critiques American military buildup, particularly naval expansion and Panama Canal fortification. It cites prominent figures (Richard Olney, Moorfield Storey, Francis Lynde Stetson) who question the necessity of these expenditures. The satire suggests Americans are following foreign military fashion rather than genuine security needs, comparing excessive warships to women's "hobble-skirt" fashion—unnecessary and restrictive. **"Historic Affinities"**: The illustration below, captioned "Anthony Comstock and Sappho," appears to be a satirical comparison, though context is unclear without additional information.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“DEUS EX MACHINA.” the mental attitude that counts, I usually set aside five min- utes for this purpose on my morning drive. It keeps me in tune all day—and any time before that I am never in the right temper. Ever thine, lovingly, (To be continued) M. Door Slammed Again at Princeton R. HENRY VAN DYKE has resigned a professorship of English literature in Princeton University with eapres- sions of dissatisfaction, not to say resentment. Why do lapses of concurrence and disparities of ideat find so wide an advertisement when they happen in the Princeton faculty? Even Columbia's jars are not so noisy as Princeton's. < Oe Cushing 303 ' The Fashion of Armament ICHARD OLNEY, formerly Sccretary of State, Moorfield Storey and Francis Lynde Stetson, noted lawyers, and Jordan and Faunce, college presidents, are among the very well-known and respected people who think it a mistake to fortify the Panama Canal. An Englishman, writing in the Atlantic Monthly (January, 1911), declares that it is absurd for us to have much of a navy, and makes a plausible argument for his opinion. How far is it true, do you suppose, that we have con- tracted timidity from association with nations that have some- thing to he scared about, whereas we are geographically and economically safe from serious damage from external violence? Needs are partly a matter of fashion. We like to live as the neighbors do and have, if we can afford it, about what they have. It is a nice question just how far we are following a fashion not necessary to us, in stocking up with warships and fortifying our canal. Uf course, we necd some navy, but where is the point where our Dreadnaughts become a mere fool hobble-skirt that we had better shed? T sometimes takes a girl a long time to learn that a flirtation is attention without intention. HISTORIC AFFINITIES ANTHONY COMSTOCK AND SAPPHO comicbooks.com