Life, 1912-02-15 · page 11 of 44
Life — February 15, 1912 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine page contains two satirical pieces: **"Why We Change Ambassadors So Often"** critiques the U.S. diplomatic corps as a revolving door for wealthy appointees. The article argues that ambassadorships are poorly paid positions that only rich men can afford, leading them to tire of foreign assignments quickly. Congress won't increase salaries or fund proper housing, so ambassadors constantly rotate. The satire suggests this system leaves America dependent on the goodwill of wealthy dilettantes rather than career diplomats. **"Putting Him at His Ease"** is a humorous domestic scene where a new son-in-law anxiously meets his father-in-law, who reassures him that he needn't worry—the older man feels no anxiety himself. The accompanying sketches show casual family interactions meant to illustrate the comfort of their relationship.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“ HOW FORTUNATE, VAVASOUR, THAT WE SAVED OUR THINGS, JUST. IMAGINE IF WE HAD BEEN UNABLE TO DRESS FOR DINNER!” A FLORIDA SERENADE time comes when it will be nat- Why We Change Ambassadors So Often is ural for you to address me as TH French papers, commenting on the resignation of | ‘ Grandpa.’ Ambassador Bacon, wonder that we swap Ambas- sadors so often. It seems that we have had five in Paris ULL many a philanthropist of within seven years. purest ray serene, The dark unfathomed caves of busi- One explanation is that our ambassadorships are very ey ness failure bear. ill-paid. The salary nowhere near pays the expenses of the places, and only rich men can afford to accept these appointments. Consequently when they get tired they quit, and there is a search for the next rich man who is willing to take the job and is not too unsuitable. A poor man cannot afford to be Ambassador more than a year or two, and most of the rich men soon get tired of living abroad and being under orders. Tf the salaries were higher, changes would not be so frequent. But Congress won't increase the salaries, nor yet buy houses in the foreign capitals, and the expenses cannot be much cut down. So our millionaire Ambassadors come and go, and our country in its indigence ought to be thankful that there are enough of them to man the service aiter a fashion, and that they are good enough to help us out. Putting Him at His Ease OOD MORNING, Mis—er—ah—fath—that is——” begins the new son-in-law. “Now, Jim,” smiles the bride’s father, “I know just how you feel. I went through it myself. I felt like forty kinds of a fool when J first tried to call my father-in-law ‘ Father,’ and I said right then that if I ever had a son-in-law I'd not give him the same worry. Besides, if my father-in-law felt one- half the way I do when I hear you trying to get it over with, I believe he’d have done what I’m going to do. You call me “COME “LONG HERE, HONEY! DOAN’ yo’ co * Mister’ or ‘Say’ or ‘ Bill,” or anything else you like, until the "SOCIATIN’ WID DAT Po’ WHITE TRASH!”