Life, 1913-07-03 · page 23 of 48
Life — July 3, 1913 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1912 *Life* magazine page satirizes Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan's management capabilities. The large cartoon depicts Bryan as a military/political figure addressing a crowd, with the caption ironically asserting popular support for the president (likely Wilson). The accompanying text mocks Bryan for canceling a speaking engagement to attend a Cabinet meeting, suggesting he's indispensable at the State Department because experienced bureau chiefs have departed. The satire's core joke: Bryan is ideally suited to run a "Sunday School" but poorly suited to handle complex foreign diplomacy. The piece implies his strength lies in moral persuasion and religious instruction, not statecraft. The commentary suggests Bryan is holding the department together through sheer presence, as newer staff require his constant instruction—a backhanded criticism of his actual diplomatic competence during a period of significant international tensions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Nay Ty ied wae 8 San a ane * THE COUNTRY IS BACK OF YOU, MR, PRESIDENT.” we know whether the two-year-hence conservatives or the two-year-hence radicals will be back of Mr. Wilson. Somewhere down the road there is a point at which a large proportion of the Progressives will pull up and say: “This movement has gone far enough for the present. Let's stop and moult a spell now.” se) wad. ' ail — — M: BRYAN had to break his engagement to address the Charlestown (Mass.) Catholic Literary Union on June 16, the eve of Bunker Hill day. The hall had been hired and the tickets sold, but the Secretary of State couldn't come. There a Cabinet meeting and he had to stay for it. was Sympathy is hereby tendered to the Catholic Literary brethren in Charles- town, but we feel that Mr. Bryan was right. While the helm of the Ship of State is in his powerful hands and things foreign are so squally he ought not to hike off to Boston to say what hie can doubtless impart 2lmost as well by long distance telephone. It is the more necessary that he should stay on the poop because, we understand he has got the State Department pretty well cleaned out of experienced bureau chiefs who know heen done there and how to do it. Of course the new hands have to be irained and look to Mr. Bryan for in- struction about the duties of their jobs. Mr. Moore "t do everythi All the same, of course, addressing Catholic Literary Unions is a good deal more in Mr. Bryan's line than ate Department. He is what business has running the en ideal man to be superintendent of the largest Sunday School in the world. He h; 1 the for that employment. If ege to make of united states the School in the world he will be the man to run it, and as persuasive as a the other countries that endowments can man- perfectly Sunday these largest anyone to join. We pretty near to being Mr. Bryan's ideal is a suppose comes of a career, and of course it beautiful ideal. country and the other countries are still so. imperfectly Sunday-Schooled and our foreign relations have to be conducted on a secular Mr. Bryan will do well to hold on to all the officials he has got left, if any, who know how onduet them so, more ¢ in the State Department ut the hymns and passing But so long as this basis, here's than giving ice water. comicbooks.com