Life, 1913-07-17 · page 37 of 44
Life — July 17, 1913 — page 37: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct satirical pieces: **"A New Popular Sport"** (left column): This is biting social satire about automobile fatalities. In 1911-1913, cars were killing hundreds annually in cities like New York. The author sarcastically proposes treating traffic deaths as *entertainment*—scheduling them, charging admission, organizing them "according to a fixed program" like public spectacles. The joke exposes the absurdity and tragedy of normalizing these deaths while doing nothing systematic to prevent them. It's a dark critique of society's indifference to automotive casualties. **"Why We Need More Battleships"** (bottom): A brief satire mocking militaristic arguments for naval expansion. The author uses circular logic—"we need battleships because we have battleships"—to ridicule pro-military advocates' reasoning. **The Borland Electric Car Advertisement** dominates the right side, promoting an electric automobile as safe and family-friendly—ironically placed opposite the dark humor about car deaths, creating unintended ironic juxtaposition.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A New Popular Sport HE technique of the art of killing people in large cities does not seem to be so complete as it should be. For example, in the streets of New York in the year nineteen eleven- five hundred and thirty-two people were killed by automobiles. in addition to this, over thirteen thousand people were injured in the same city by automobiles. While the exact figures are not avail- able, nineteen twelve excceds this, and nineteen thirteen promises to exceed nineteen twelve. In almost all of our popular amuse- ments which draw crowds the affair is advertised beforehand, and an oppor- tunity given to the spectators to witness the proceedings. But with the exciting and sensational sport of killing people there is no system. No opportunity is afforded to the thousands who have the price to see it done. The chauffeur and a few ordinary folks who happen to be near the scene by chance are usually the sole spectators. Even the police are slighted. Would it not be more in accordance with the modern spirit of efficiency to detail every year five or six hundred victims and have the killing arranged according to a fixed program? The gate receipts would be enormous. These could be placed in a fund in order to defend the various chauffeurs if necessary — SSS Se es HE car that all the family can use—for business # or pleasure. Just the thing for the trip to the from criminal prosecution—this archaic office, the shopping excursion, the social call, method still being in force against these the pleasure jaunt. Roomy and_ luxurious, gentlemen, ‘ with comfortable seats for five. It must also be remembered that our popular amusements are very f-w in number, One can go to a football game almost any time without seeing anyone actually killed. The same thing is true of baseball and other sports. Elegance, durability and economy built right into it. Every part mounted and balanced as perfectly as a fine watch‘s mechanism, so that you get maximum mileage at minimum operating and maintenance cost. The all ‘round car for appear- ance, convenience, safety and mileage. It is possible that some hypercritical people may object to this cn the ground that it would tend to place us on the Extra large five-passenger body, front or rear drive. Horizontal control with six speeds forward and three re- The business and profes- sional man, and all those who prefer an open-body, two- get electric, will find the same level with uncivilized nations who verse. Automatic cut-out Borland Roadster just the type indulge in the fascination of bull fights. . disconnects power when emer- car they need. Speed and te- But this, it appears to us, is an old- i 4 ) gency brakeis applied. Stand. markable mileage capacity are fashioned way of viewing the matter. He J bard equipment, ** JEX{DE’? “combined with rakish lines end Why would it not be a higher moral ‘ - batteries, . trim appearance, $2550, standpoint to come out into the open Send for the new Borland Poster in our automobile killings as we prac- Book illustrating and describ- tically do in other ways—such as child ing the Borland Electric Models labor and white slaves? The Borland-Grannis Co. 312 East Huron Street Why We Need More Battleships “ HY do we need more battleships?” is a question thundered forth the other day W by one of those agitative and increasingly ubiquitous anti-militarists. What a question! He certainly ought to know by this time. We need more battleships because we already have so many battleships that unless we add to our collection of battleships we won't have enough battleships to make a comparatively respectable show- ing when it comes to looking at us as a nation that gocs in for battleships. Now, if we were a nation, like Canada, which had no battleships at all, then, of course, we would not need any more battleships, because that would be impossible, inasmuch as we would have no nucleus of battleships to which to add the augmentary battleships. Anybody ought to In Splits and regular size know that. Assuredly we need more battleships. Dealer Nearest Dealer or CHLEVANS & SONS, Hudson, N. Y. comicbooks.com