Life, 1913-11-27 · page 12 of 40
Life — November 27, 1913 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical cartoon depicts military personnel in chaos—a sailor and officer tumbling down with scattered items and explosions. The caption suggests that romantic concerns distract soldiers more than actual combat danger. The accompanying letter from "Hashimura Togo" (a Japanese pseudonymous character common in early-20th-century American satire) warns of Japanese naval espionage, claiming Hon. Harry Karimoto was "eloping to other breweries while making cobbly conversation with Japanese spies." The satire mocks both military readiness concerns and the stereotype that Japanese agents infiltrate American institutions. The right-side cartoon about "Uncle Josh" and beer appears unrelated domestic humor. The overall tone suggests pre-WWI anxieties about national security and military preparedness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“What makes men fight most peevly? what such a navy, filled with love & ice-cream could do to old-fashion sea-doggies who have learned to fight from eating pig’s-breast while walking in bare feet, chilly cold overcomes my elbows. I shodder.” Hon. Harry commence doing so with such December expression of Answer is, ‘Love '!” quiver & shake that he must took some more whiskey drunk so he will not catch more pneumonia. “All editors, generals, kings etc should know this alarming truth you talk,” I snagger. “ Would you please show some photos for prove you are not Dr. Cooking me?” But when last seen, Hon. Harry Karimoto were eloping to other brew- eries while making cobwobbly conver- sation with Japanese spies. This news may be only 1-3 true, Mr. Editor, but that are sifficient to get it printed in newspapers, so maybe you can manufacture some alarm from it, Because if America navy can learn to fight even more harshly than formerly, all other navies should feel quite de- composed. Hoping you are the same. Yours truly Hasuimura Toco, (Per Wallace Irwin.) Still Clouded ‘NYJHILE there may be revivals of interest in the security markets, the future is still clouded,” says the Tribune. Or, in other words, the fu- ture is still in a perfectly normal con- dition. INCLE JOSH, HOW bO YoU } THAT BEER DON’T SEEM TO “HOW DID YOU TAKE IT?” “TABLESPOONFUL AFORE MEALS.”