Life, 1914-12-24 · page 10 of 40
Life — December 24, 1914 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Main Content:** The page features a poem titled "Not Germany" by Theodore C. Williams, attributing various human achievements (steam power, microscopes, wireless technology, aviation) to sources other than Germany—a pointed rejection of German claims to civilizational superiority, likely written during or after WWI. **Illustrations:** The right side shows "The New Opera Frocks," depicting fashionable women in elaborate costumes for operatic roles, identifying figures from productions like "Cormèn" and "Tristan and Isolde." **Lower Cartoon:** A small comic sketch shows two figures at a window with the caption: "Is this 'ambidextrous'? Ambidious as hell, m'am. He wud bite you in a minute."—a pun on manual dexterity versus aggressive behavior. **Context:** This appears to be WWI-era satire asserting that Germany deserves no credit for modern civilization's advances.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1150 Not Germany HO first put steam to ship and car And conquered space on land and sea? Who cabled thought through oceans far? Not Germany. Who first trapped microbes under glass, Man's ambushed, deadliest enemy, And bade foul plagues forever pass? Not Germany. Who ‘from Daguerre his fame can steal? Who finished for the world to see “La bicyclette”, “I'automobile”? Not Germany. Who set the wheel where woman spun To million-fold machinery? And what proud land bore Edison? Not Germany. Who laid on pain deep sleep and dark To still life's utmost agony? Who flashed world-o’er the wireless spark? he Hon Bedelia Bow 7a ay eth The deces {i ea Jonna Not Germany. Who first like eagle rode the air, Columbus of that vaster sea? Who first to earth's twin poles did fare? Not Germany. But higher yet! what lands display Darwin's supreme discovery, The Curies, Lyell, Faraday? Not Germany. Who broke th’ hereditary throne Of kings, and set great peoples free? What land to-day is freedom's own? Not Germany. Go, Teuton boaster! Humbly scan What gifts thy peers have heaped on thee. Art’s triumphs were achieved by Man— Not Germany. Theodore C. Williams. Coun worn by one of the season's“ buds, A. Se Zaza White, fe at * iene cx Hishbrou ot * Tastan THE NEW OPERA FROCKS (To BE EN REGLE THIS SEASON GOWNS MUST ACCORD WITH THE MUSIC) Is a Crisis Approaching ? MERGENCY literature should be our next consideration. For instance, how can we bolster up our minds when there is a sudden shortage in trashy novels? When people begin, through absurd fear, to hoard up trashy novels, a mental panic is likely to follow at any moment. The same thing is true of other forms of literature, At times, through a quite natural anxiety that we may run out of humor, everybody stops being humorous. “IS THIS ANIMAL AMPHIBIOUS?” “AMPHIBIOUS AS HELL, MA'AM. WUD BITE YoU IN A MINUTE.” HE At the basis of our mental pros- perity, as every discerning student knows, are trashy novels and various other forms of hack- writing. Some- thing ought to be done to preserve the literary status quo. There are some who contend that as long as we are on, practically, a yellow-journal basis, this ought to be enough, But is it? Certainly our literature should be elastic enough to include, not only yel low journals, comic sections and ten- cent magazines, but also bobbsmer- rilliana and other forms of bestsello- phobia.