Life, 1914-10-08 · page 30 of 44
Life — October 8, 1914 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon ("An Antediluvian Annoyance"):** Shows Adam and Eve in Eden, with Eve suggesting they could "get club rates" if five more people existed on Earth. This is a joke about modern social/commercial culture—the implication being that even in paradise, humans would commodify and monetize everything, seeking group discounts. **Main Article:** Discusses Dr. Armgaard Karl Graves, a real German spy who wrote an exposé of the German spy system. The piece argues that while Germany has developed military technique, moral ideas ultimately defeat spy systems and autocracies. This reflects WWI-era skepticism about German militarism. **"Beat It, Aristocracies!" Essay:** Criticizes military aristocracies across Europe—the German Kaiser's Prussian officers, Austrian Habsburgs, Russian Czars, and Mexican científicos—as irresponsible and greedy. Argues democratic leaders, though flawed, are at least accountable. **Bottom Cartoon:** A poor child asks why the family is always poor; mother attributes it to God's will. Child replies God should "make another will"—a class-conscious joke about wealth inequality and inheritance systems.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AN ANTEDILUVIAN ANNOYANCE Eve: WE COULD GET CLUB RATES The Uncertainty of Systems R. ARMGAARD KARL GRAVES, referred to not long ago by the London 7imes as the most dangerous spy of the century, has written a book (‘The Secrets of the German War Office”, McBride, Nast & Co.) in which he purports to retail the German spy system, apparently in revenge for what he says the German Government did to him. Dr. Graves was sent to England by Germany to spy out and keep track of English naval movements. But, ‘cording to his story, his previous employment by Ger- many had placed him in possession of too many state secrets. The German war office, wishing to get rid of him by having him imprisoned for seven years under the new English spy law, laid a trap by misdirecting a letter, which led to his arrest and imprisonment. The English Govern- ment, however, in return for information they hoped to obtain from him, set him free, and released him from any obligation to remain silent. His book is a highly inter- esting and more or less disgusting exposé of himself and the German spy system. Stripped of its air of over- importance and eavesdropping egotism, it gives a clear idea of the thoroughness of the German spy system. Its main importance, however, consists in its appearance just at a moment when Germany needs moral reinforce- ments more than anything else; and it also illustrates the sublime truth that no system can be made perfect. Ideas are worth more than systems. Germany has de- veloped a military technique unexampled in history, but the force of a big moral idea is bound to sweep it away. No spy system endures for long. European diplomacy may learn that some day. JUST THINK, ADAM, IF THERE WERE ONLY FIVE MORE PEOPLE ON EARTH Beat It, Aristocracies ! ILITARY aristocracies are the bane of monarchies. The Ger- man Kaiser is an engaging man, pretty generally popular, but the Prussian military aristocracy has no friends, There have been good Czars, but they always have an oversupply of tyran- nous and greedy grand dukes about them. Francis Joseph is a pretty good old man, but the Austrian aristocracy lays more stress on blood and less on conduct than any in Europe. Diaz was not so bad, but the Cientificos were ruinous. Autocrats are responsible for gov- ernment. Powerful governing aristoc- racies are irresponsible and profoundly greedy. Democratic leaders average bad enough, heaven knows, but they are in sight and accessible to discipline. HE course of true diplomacy never did run smooth. “MAMMA, WHY ARE WE ALWAYS POOR?” “1 SUPPOSE IT IS GoD's WILL.” “WELL, I JUST THINK GOD OUGHT TO MAKE ANOTHER WILL.” comicbooks.com