Life, 1912-01-04 · page 41 of 108
Life — January 4, 1912 — page 41: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Image:** "China Is Now Being Civilized" depicts a dramatic desert/mountain landscape with multiple bodies lying on the ground. This appears to reference Western military intervention in China—likely the Boxer Rebellion aftermath (1900-1901) or similar colonial conflicts. The caption's ironic title suggests satirical critique of the violence accompanying Western "civilization" efforts in China. **Middle Section:** A humorous piece by T.L.M. mocks pretentious American social rituals, depicting Uncle Sam toasting to American spirit and the year 1912. The satire targets self-congratulatory patriotism and shallow optimism. **"Those Best Sellers":** Bob Yard satirizes the publishing industry's expensive practices—extravagant advertising, author photos, and illustrations—that inflate book costs while potentially compromising literary quality. The suggestion to remove these elements and hire a "trained literary villain" mocks how commercial concerns override artistic merit. **"Heredity - The Chauffeur's Child":** A cartoon (caption only visible) likely plays on class inheritance and social expectations—unclear without seeing the full cartoon, but appears to satirize assumptions about children inheriting their parents' social station or character.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CHINA 1S: NOW He is none other than our immortal Shall we admit him?” And the mid a unanimous chorus of approval, the door opened, and Uncle Sam, advancing to the tabie, said: “ Friends, let us obey that impulse. He lifted his glass, and the whole company drank stand- ing to the following toast: “Here's to Lir Here's to the true waiting to come in. Uncle Sam. 's friends, past, present and future. American spirit. Long may it wave. And here’s to 1912—may it be the best one yet!” T. LM Those Best Sellers M R. BOB YARD says that best sellers are so expensive to > publish that they hardly The paper, the printing, the pictures and the advertising, to of the author's ro; nothing Ities and the binding, are serious handi- s to the publisher. Here is at last a splendid idea. irst, reduce the advertising of all best sellers; get them out without any notices, reviews or pictures of the author ing grilled bones in the back yard of his estate, with his avorite collie in the foreground. Second, cut out the illus- trations. This aléne would make it almost worth while publishing the book. These two reforms will cut down the cost of the paper, the binding and the author’s royalties, A trained literary villain will thus begin to hesitate before he BEING CIVILIZED perpetrates a best seller. out a book If the public is left alone to find F itself, it is quite possible that merit might enter the field; we say this timidly, however, with duc re- gard to our literary traditions me EVER strike a man lar; “Better still, never strike f than yourself.” a man who is short.” HEREDITY THE CHAUFFEUR'S CHILD