Life, 1914-04-23 · page 14 of 44
Life — April 23, 1914 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical pieces about American diplomatic embarrassment in colonial Africa (1914). **"An International Complication"** mocks an American ambassador in Timbuctoo who called a native person a "spade" (a direct racial slur), creating international scandal. The satire targets American ignorance of diplomatic protocol and racist language abroad. Anglo-Saxon nations condemned the gaffe as intolerable even from "a respectable woman." **"His Mistake"** (top cartoon) shows a man taking his wife to a moving picture show, then being charged $20 for a brief dance with the proprietor's wife—a con-artist setup. It illustrates naive tourist exploitation. Both pieces satirize American foolishness: diplomatic insensitivity and gullible vulnerability to scams.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HIS MISTAKE. IN TAKING HIS WIFE TO THE MOVING PICTURES An International Complication IMBUCTOO, Africa, April 20, 1914. (Special to Lire).—I am reliably informed that our American ambassa- dor last evening, in the presence of several natives of this place, referred to a spade as being a spade, I am transmitting this authentic and exclu- sive report to Lire at the earliest pos- sible moment. The news that our ambassador at Timbuctoo had so far forgotten him- self as to call a spade a spade, as exclusively reported by Lire, was re- ceived calmly by the American people. It is thought that the cfisis will pass. At the White House the President said: “Much allowance should be made for the occasion. If it had been at a funeral something might have to be done about it, but it was much more grave than this; it was after dinner and is therefore no joke. My own situation is complicated owing to the fact that my stock of ambassadors is so low. I can only hope for the best.” The World says this morning, edi- torially : “Did the American ambassador at Timbuctoo, intend to be taken seriously when he called a spade a spade? Was he sober? Was he in earnest? Was he asleep? Was he awake? Was he sittimg? Was he standing? Was he dry? Was he thirsty? Calling a spade a spade will never be tolerated by an Anglo- Saxon unless such be a respectable woman.” The Evening Post says: “In the words of Bagehot or Burke, ‘We are up against it.’” (Two columns more explaining what Burke and Bagehot meant.) “The Timbuctoo papers are unani- mous in their disapproval,” says the Daily Timbuctian, “Every spade in our glorious country naturally resents the imputation.” Later. “There will be a mass-meeting of spades this evening to talk over the situation, All hope for the best.” Metropolitan R ENTLY a young man,a stranger to the ways of the metropolis, was invited by a friend to a Thé Dansant at the establishment of two dancers, a man and his wife, who as the proprietors have become more or less famous. The young man, in the course of time, was introduced to the wife of the proprietor, and as a matter of courtesy asked her to dance with him. When, later, he was about to pay his bill, he found that he had been charged twenty dollars for the privilege of this dance, which lasted possibly three or four minutes. What an amiable and effective way to extract money! “GIVE quick! ME AN INSURANCE POLICY OUR HOUSE Is ON FIRE!”