Life, 1914-10-01 · page 5 of 48
Life — October 1, 1914 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily an **advertisement for Encyclopedia Britannica** (11th Edition), not political satire. The "WAR" header with decorative artwork frames war-related educational questions ("Who are the Slavs?" "What led to militarism in Germany?"). The ad's pitch exploits **World War I anxieties**: readers need the encyclopedia to understand the ongoing European conflict intelligently. It emphasizes the Britannica's comprehensive coverage—44 million words, 15,000 illustrations—as essential knowledge for informed citizens during wartime. The promotional strategy is direct: tear out the coupon and request a free illustrated booklet about purchasing terms. This represents typical WWI-era marketing that connected educational products to patriotic duty and civic understanding.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
/ closed Ine Dol- Canadian oreign nd Lire ynths to Who are the Slavs? (p. 228, Vol. XXV, Encyc. Brit.) What led to militarism in Germany ? (p. 621, Vol. II, Encyc. Brit.) What is the difference in English, German and French methods of using machine guns? (p. 248, Vol. XVII, Encyc. Brit.) (p. 441, Vol. XIX, Encyc. Brit.) What nations guaranteed the perpetual neutrality of Luxemburg? (p. 11, Vol. XXI, Encyc. Brit.) What constitutes a declaration of war? (p. 316, Vol. XXVIII, Encyc. Brit.) Wien the daily news raises questions like these, do you know where to find the answer? How are the terms of a treaty or an inter national award enforced ? (p. 327, Vol. Il, Encyc. Brit.) How do laws of war as applied in civil conflict differ in case of rebels ? (p. 312, Vol. XXVIII, Encyc. Brit.) Do you know what the flag of one nation placed above another in war time means? (p. 462, Vol. X, Encyc. Brit.) Such information is necessary to an intelligent understanding of the present conflict in Europe. To grasp the full meaning of the war, you must understand something of the causes leading up to it. You should be acquainted with methods of warfare, the relative strength of armies and navies, strategy and tactics, rules of war, and so on. The military articles of the new Britannica, signed by recognized authorities, cover every phase of the art of war as war is waged today. Then, there are comprehensive articles on all the European peoples, as well as on all the cities, on every town and important village and fortified place. Noother book, no collection of 500 separate volumes, covers so much ground. What the New Britannica contains on warfare and the history of nations is only a small portion of the contents of this great library of universal knowledge. History, geography, biography, religion, science and invention, manufacture and commerce, art and literature, are covered with equal fidelity. Possession of the Britannica means increased knowledge, increased capacity, increased ability. ~ Consequently, its purchase is an investment. And any one of moderate means can afford it. The entire twenty-nine volumes—consisting cf 44,000,000 Tear out the coupon and send it to us NOW —don’t miss this chance. ‘THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA—11th EDITION Printed upon genuine India paper—28,150 in 29 ‘taagnificent volumes, each only an inch thick words of text and more than 15,000 illustrations, plates and maps—will be delivered upon a first pay- ment of $5. You pay the remainder in small monthly amounts. To know more about this book—written and edited by 1,500 of the world’s leading specialists—just tear off the coupon in the corner, fill it out and send it in. This will bring you FREE the illustrated book describing fully what the new Britannica is and the terms of purchase. ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA 120 W. 32d St., New York City Please send me your booklet describing the 11th Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica and easy | terms of payment. La Name Street No. | City. State