Life, 1915-03-04 · page 10 of 48
Life — March 4, 1915 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The cartoon depicts a skeletal, death-like figure standing in a doorway marked with ominous warnings: "BEWARE," "YOU GOT 3 DAIS," "BOM," "BLACK HAND," and "GOOD NITE." The phrase "A MARKED PASSAGE" suggests someone under threat of assassination. This appears to reference Mafia or anarchist violence in early 20th-century America, where the "Black Hand" was a known extortion threat (marked with skull symbols and crosses), and "marked passage" meant a person targeted for death. The three days countdown and threatening messages were typical intimidation tactics of criminal organizations operating during Prohibition era. The cartoon likely satirizes organized crime's grip on American society or immigrant criminal syndicates.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“And the Greatest of These” “THE cold fact of hunger,” said Organized Charity, Speaking the words with her usual clarity, “Isn't the point in this matter at all. Before we encourage a beggar’s digestion, We really must ask him this vast cosmic question: Is he a good churchman? Then what caused his fall? Is he righteously hungry, or starving with Mammon? Perhaps he has gambled at chess or backgammon? If so, We must know; And although it may grieve us, We cannot sincerely (we trust you believe us!) Resuscitate folks who are harsh to society, We make a point of insisting on piety. That’s why we give with such sanctified rarity— Isn't it lovely?” said Organized Charity. Dana Burnet. Making It Easy a | SEE by the papers that we have sold two of our battle- ships to Greece and with the money received we are going to build one new one.” “What's the idea?” “ Well, it’s easier for an enemy to blow up one battleship than it is two.” “(\ MARKED PASSAGE” Successful Neutrality LEMENT A. GRISCOM writes to Senator Stone to say that Mr. Bryan’s letter on neutrality “ conclu- sively proves that, probably owing to the clamor of German sentiment in this country, almost every action that has been taken by the administration has been in favor of Germany and against the Allies”. Herman Ridder says in his newspaper: “It is well that the document carries Mr. Bryan's signature; otherwise it would have had every appearance of emanating either from London or from England's embassy at Washington.” Here is persuasive evidence of the success of the ad- ministration in maintaining neutrality. The test of neu- trality is to keep both sides dissatisfied. So far as now known, nobody on earth, outside of this country, except possibly the Belgians, is satisfied with the deportment of the United States. In Canada, Mr. Griscom says, “ bitter animosity against these States is almost general.” We take BOARDING THE ARK everybody’s money and everybody’s execration. That is Elephant: WEY, YOU TWO MICROBES BACK THERE— successful neutrality. STOP sHoviN’! comichooks.com