Life, 1914-10-22 · page 9 of 44
Life — October 22, 1914 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes wealthy American tourists abroad, particularly those who behave arrogantly. The main article, "I Own the Earth," quotes a Chicago Tribune piece criticizing Americans traveling overseas who act as though they own the world. The text argues such tourists lack "thoroughly used" money—they've recently acquired wealth without proper refinement, leading to poor manners. The accompanying illustrations mock this behavior: one shows well-dressed men on a ship, likely depicting the stereotypical "ugly American" traveler; another sketch titled "Steerage" (right) contrasts wealthy tourists with poorer passengers. The critique reflects early 20th-century anxiety about newly wealthy Americans embarrassing their nation through crude behavior and entitlement while traveling internationally, a common satirical target during the era of American economic expansion.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“I Own the Earth” I was in Germany, Holland and England, and the attachés of the consular offices gave me all the assist- ance in their power. 1 was disgusted with the actions of many Americans abroad. They seemed to think they owned the earth. —A Returned Tourist in the Chicago Tribune, HAT is the kind of a reputation which American tourists have been laboriously building up for many years, and with marked success, Recent stories that have come to us of their actions after war broke out do not tend to prove, or to mitigate, the contrary. A large proportion of tourists from this country have not had the money whereby they are traveling long enough to have become thoroughly used to it. Money too recently acquired has a deterrent effect on manners. Hence the “Own the Earth” American is a common sight. And it was doubtless due to him that during the recent troubles so many other Americans of real gentleness and breeding suffered more than should have been necessary. / WHY COMPLAIN? STEERAGE OUR FOREFATHERS DID IT comicbooks.com