Life, 1913-11-20 · page 15 of 44
Life — November 20, 1913 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Image:** "Her Sons' Missions" contrasts Peace and War—showing a mother receiving soldiers, illustrating the dual roles sons undertake during wartime. **Main Cartoon:** Columbia (female personification of America) sits with a soldier, saying "Dear me, Columbia, how you have changed!" The satire comments on America's transformation, likely during or after WWI, from isolationism to military involvement. **"Financial Writers Wanted" Section:** This is satirical classified advertising. It mocks pre-war financial journalism as intellectually hollow—writers could succeed without actual financial knowledge, relying only on grammar and obfuscation to fool readers. The piece applauds the "new régime" demanding actual competence: "vim, vigor and vitality" and genuine economic understanding. It's a jab at both old financial columnists' incompetence and Wall Street's dubious practices, suggesting the country has progressed toward "common sense, new freedom and old decency." The overall page celebrates American transformation toward greater accountability and expertise.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HER SONS’ MISSIONS Financial Writers Wanted ANTED—Financial Writers. Owing to the recent rapid progress of the country along lines of common sense, new freedom and old decency, a pressing need has arisen for financial writers who know something about fi- nance, economics and the real fundamental warps and woofs of social welfare. Under the old régime knowledge was more than unnecessary; it was a positive dra long as subject, predicate, object, modifiers and garnish- ments were placed with approximate exactitude, almost any drivel appearing in a financial column passed for wis- dom with the multitude. Oftentimes even grammar could be dispensed with. Men with knowledge found it wholly impossible to write these abstract nothings day after day and consequently the work usually had to be turned over to college graduates. Under the new régime, vim, vigor and vitality, with here and there a wee touch of vicious- ness, are absolutely essential Apply at once. Wall street references not required. Address Gentle Reader, Random Street, Everytown, U. S. A. “DEAR ME, COLUMBIA, HOW YOU HAVE CHANGED!”