Life, 1914-01-01 · page 10 of 44
Life — January 1, 1914 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece mocks eugenic ideology through a Japanese correspondent's naive observations. The writer describes his cousin Nogi's rejection of "Future Race" events (sporty activities) as uneugenical, revealing how eugenic pseudoscience was being applied internationally—even to marriage selection and family planning. The cartoons illustrate the absurdity: one shows a woman presenting herself as eugenic marriage material; another depicts a sumo wrestler being evaluated. The joke exposes how eugenic concepts—popular in early 20th-century America—were being adopted elsewhere and applied to everyday decisions. The letter's tone suggests satire of both eugenics believers and stereotyped Japanese characters, criticizing the dangerous pseudoscience gaining traction globally.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
To Editor “ Life,” who will please be more careful about choosing his an- cestors in the future, EAR SIR:— Last Wedsday night I got feel- ing of lonesome matrimony, so I put , on Tuxedo slippers and necktie re- sembling Vogue. I was not sure which lady I intended for marry, but I go sce Miss Tessie Matsuki because I could get there without car fare. This Matsuki lady live over store of her father, Hon, J. W. Matsuki, Japanese hay & grain. She got considerable Vassar intelligence and would make nice wife for librarian. I found her by lamplight wearing goldly spectacles while reading en- larged volume entitle “ Eugenic.” She felt my biceps while shaking hands & seem to examine my hair for criminal traits. I ask her would she like go see emotion picture show with my accompaniment. She say no. She prefer set stationary and talk about ‘LIFE: Letters of a Japanese School-boy A Lesson in Eugenics Future Race. I explan that I did not keep up pretty well with sporty events, but my Cousin Nogi were entirely ed- ucated about racing & baseball. She give high-up laugh of culture. “ Future Race are not sporty event,” she define. “It are Eugenic.” -“T got no time to think foreign languages,” I say so while admiring her sweethearted expression with Gar- den of Allah sensation. “I come here to ask some big importance. Would it be convenient to get married?” “It would be no trouble however,” she report for smiling. “O then we shall!” I holla while at- tempting to hold her handclasp, but she snatch it to herself. “Tf suitable I shall include you on waiting list,” she snuggest. “T present you my heart,” I renig for poetry. “Condition of lung are more im- portant,” she renounce. “Let me hear your deep breathing.” I do so. She listen. “Ah!! I suspected what [ “TI make you manandwife” “So I elope away full of low character” supposed! Your left pulmonia has slight anachronism, How dare you love me?” “Permit me to tell about myself!” T yall like Romeo. “Tell me about your grandfather, instead” she abrupt. © “T do not ask you marry my grand- father.” This from me while enjoy- ing slight agonies. “In Eugenic,” she report, “we are expected to marry entire family.’ “This Eugene must come from Utah,” I snib. “My grandfather would not permit such illegality. He were married once, which were too many. Also he are dead. It are im- moral to marry dead folks.” “What he die from?” she romp forth. “Asthma of knees,” I pronounce. “So ha! Then you got diseases in family!" “You expect my ancestors to die from being too healthy?” I ask to know. “ Perhapsly Hon, Eugene who wrote that book will teach us how to do so.” “He expects to arrange everything,” she compose proudishly. “His spec- comicbooks.com