Life, 1914-01-15 · page 16 of 40
Life — January 15, 1914 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1913 *Life* magazine satire mocks the era's obsession with "progress" through a Japanese schoolboy's letter. The humor relies on broken English (a period stereotype) to undercut American self-congratulation. The cartoon illustrates "Aviation are in its infancy"—showing an early, primitive aircraft alongside conventional transportation, emphasizing aviation's dangerous infancy (the text notes multiple Zeppelin and airplane crashes killing dozens). The satirized "progress" items are absurd or backwards: evolution supposedly *relieves* monkeys of responsibility; Theodore Roosevelt "discovering" Brazil (mocking his famous 1913 expedition); Harry Thaw lecturing on judicial dignity (he was notorious for murdering architect Stanford White); and the "Back to the Soiled Movement" in theater (appearing to mock Broadway's commercial degradation). The overall joke: America claims progress while actually retreating morally and socially—aviation crashes, theatrical corruption, and arbitrary laws restricting women reveal progress is illusory or "backing up," as the editor's note suggests.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“L PRE* Letters of a Japanese School-boy To Editor “ Life Paper” who can ob- serve Progress advancing even when it is backing up, EAR SIR:— Of recently my cousin Nogi set in reading-room of Japanese Thinking Society doing so. In his thumbs he held copy of Annual New Year's Sup- plement and from this he obtained news with enlarged eyes. “During cast-off year 1913,” he say so, “great progress have arrived to Earth.” : “From where did it arrive from?” I ask to know. “Progressive Headquarters maybe,” snuggest Nogi bullmoosefully, “At any rates it is here in any direction.” “In what has it progressed it?” I inquest. “This newspaper tell all,” exclam Nogi. “It say, ‘ Rapid strides has been strode in religion, feetball, science, real-estate, peace, astronomy and death-rates,.’” “Tell me every statistic,” I corrode feverly, “Under considerabie handsome photos, advertisements, etc., it have got Progress divided into compartments,” decry Nogi, “and some following sta- tistic can be read: Scrence—Prof Zugg of Switzer- land have dishcovered that monkeys are descended from man. This relieve monkeys of all responsi- bility for their’ ancestry. Dr. Mutchikoff has dishcovered a new kind of hydrophobia. Bobbs-Mer- ril & Co has dishcovered the end of the world in 200 years. Geocraruy—Theodore Roosevelt has dishcovered Brazil. Law—Viscount Haldane have visited America to lecture on “ The Dignity of Judiciary”. Hon. Harry Thaw have visited Canada to lecture on same subject. TRANSPORTATION—Zeppelin pas- senger Pullman flying from Frank- furter to Liederkranz killed 28. Mellen passenger Pullman flying AA Year's Progress from New Haven to New Rochelle killed 62. Aviation is still in its infancy. Drama—Hon. Klaw & Erlanger have started a Back to the Soiled Movement assisted by New York police and other press agents. Sev- eral intelligent actors has been arrested for expressing in words emotions expressed better by legs in musical comedies. LiteraturE—M any magazines has dishcovered their sex. Even The Century has ceased being neu- V7 (CARY La tral and became feminine. Mrs Grannis, Lillian Russell & other reformettes is now passing law making it illegal for girls under so to approach news-stands after 4 p.m, Peace—Hon. Victoriano Huerta of Mexico have been offered Nobel Peace Prize for essay recently handed to Nelson O’Schaunnessey entitled ‘Come In and Put Me Out’. Epucation—Hon. Brickley of Harvard kicked 5 field goals. “ Aviation are in its infancy” comicbooks.com