Life, 1915-02-11 · page 15 of 44
Life — February 11, 1915 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is anti-war satire about American military unpreparedness, likely from the Spanish-American War era (1898). The top cartoon depicts five military/political figures carrying a coffin labeled "U.S. ARMY," with one beating a large drum. The accompanying text mocks the army's fragility—so weak that even drum noise threatens it. The diary entries (Saturday through Tuesday) chronicle the "death" of America's military through satirical vignettes: doctors debating treatment (Christian Science vs. medical quackery), vaccination procedures, and a funeral with insufficient ammunition for a proper twenty-one-gun salute. "Mother Congress" personifies the government, now mourning her loss and vowing to raise "another army"—suggesting cyclical military failures. The bottom illustration, captioned "A WOMAN SHALL COMPASS A MAN" (Jeremiah 31:22), shows a woman embracing a soldier, sarcastically implying women will have to replace the failed military. The satire targets military incompetence, inadequate resources, and questionable medical practices of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“ETP 'E * iy) Ve Z, “ Beat the drum slowly, play the fife lowly, Hum the Dead March as I'm carried along; Take me to the graveyard and roll the sod o'er me, For I was a cowboy, and I know I done wrong.” —Old Ballad, day. All the other armies were re- spectfully requested not to beat any drums or fire off any siege-guns or march, as the slightest noise was dan- gerous to our army. Saturpay: There was a consulta- tion to-day about our army, which re- sulted in a difference of opinion among the doctors. The Christian Scientist said there was nothing the matter with our army at all. “You only think you're sick,” he said. One doctor, who was afterwards proved to be a quack, said that our army had been fed too long on Mellin’s Food and needed the gold cure. But he was promptly ex- cluded. Then the regular physicians came and took out the little fellow’s appendix and tonsils and pumped him full of typhoid vaccine, and said he would feel better in the morning. is still alive, Messages of Suxpay: Our army but that is about all. sympathy have been pouring in from all over. A dear friend in Germany, who has from the beginning been deeply concerned about our army, has just cabled: “I've watched the dear little army of yours from the begin- ning more closely than you will ever know, and have been afraid he could not live. But bear up, Mother. I will send over my little army to take his place. You shall not want for an army. Me and Gott will provide!” Monpay: All is over, Our army passed away this morning. New York was ready to fire twenty-one guns, but there were only three ready and two rounds of ammunition, but they let it all go off. The funeral will be held in the little room off the Senate. No flowers. Berlin papers please copy. Interment private. Tuespay: Mother Congress is al- most inconsolable over her loss. She rocks and moans and talks to herself, saying continually : another army!” “Tl never raise FULFILLED PROPHECY “A woman shall compass a man” Jer. gr:22 comichooks.eyn)