Life, 1915-03-04 · page 13 of 48
Life — March 4, 1915 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes early 20th-century feminism and women's suffrage through a mock letter from a "Japanese School-boy." The unnamed cartoon figure (appearing to be an elderly Asian man with a long beard) represents a foreign observer commenting on British and American women's activism. The satire targets "wild women" and what the writer calls "hysteria"—attributing women's suffrage activism, smoking, dancing, and political engagement to emotional instability rather than legitimate grievance. References include suffragettes destroying property, Joan of Arc, and Queen Elizabeth, used dismissively to mock women's historical claims to authority. The piece argues women are naturally suited to domestic roles and that their activism undermines national stability. This represents *Life* magazine's conservative opposition to women's suffrage through orientalist satire—using a "foreign perspective" to mock contemporary feminist movements as absurd and dangerous.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“EP RHE* Letters of a Japanese School-boy To Editor “ Life Review” who make folks wild to read it, EARSIR :— Considerable indignity of rage were enjoyed by all British-speaking printing presses last summer because of lady Suffragetters who had escaped from cages and refused to be lured by raw meat, hot iron or other patent trap for loose lionesses. “Where are England, mighty Eng- land arrived at,” required London Times (Bryan Democrat) “that un- tamed ladies may be permitted to growl through streets, eating police- men, tearing souvenirs from Lloyd Geo and acting so desperado that even King Geo is not safe from being struck in the crown by their savage mash-notes? We ask to know! Where are our English hearts of oak and brains of wood? Alast! British courage have went and there are no man to-day on this (formerly) free Island sifficiently brave to do his duty and lynch his aunts when they deserve to.” Mr Sir, I were so pale-face in my soul when I read this that I made gallup fect to where Rev. Dr. Hon. Bunkio Sago, age 104 years complete wisdom, reside there making advice to youngly persons. More knowledge are spoken from the whisker of this Bunkio Sago than from chin of Hon. Kamo Makenzeki, Japanese editor, which is enough. This come from habit of thinking. “O Hon. Rev. Sir Bunkio!” I re- port to this Sago man when saw, “did you observe by papers how Eng- lish is deliciously dissatisfied with those wild ladies?” “All men are simular,” he tell off from those knowing whisker. “ When ladies is tame men are mad because they sleep too much. When they are wild men enjoy angry rage because continuously wakeful. English man- hood is more inconsistent than same species found in Ireland, Borneo, ete. Because why should they cherishly Wild Women & Hysterix admire chorus girls who destroy ducal titles by the power of their legs yet exclam peevly when militant show- girls burn down palaces? If it are con- sidered cutish & sweetful for Gayety ladies to dance into London nobility, O sure it must be also pleasantly flirta- tious for Pankhurst girls to come into Windsor Castle and say ‘O you Sire!’ to King.” “Queen Mary do not allow Geo to talk with strange ladies,” I reprobate. “She refer to Suffrage as cats.” “ Making advice to youngly persons ” “Yet cats has been permitted to look at Kings ever since signing of Maggy Carter in date of English history “Cats should not buy dog-chains so they can fasten themselves to thrones vhile squalling ‘Votes!’,” I corrode vith Anti expression, “Tf ladies can smoke, highball, tango, ete, why should they not be permitted patriotism among their vices?” snag- ger that Jap thinker. “Military suffragism are hysterix,” I say shodderingly. merely “Tf it are hysterix,” reproof that Solomaniac wise man, “then nothing human can defeat it. Since early date of Adam & Eve woman have never accomplished nothing for herself until she acquired some hysterix. So long as she will listen to reason she are man’s slave & chattle, But when she begin to draw short sobs and decry, ‘Horid! Horid!’ then are nice time for man to raise white flags and save himself from expensive defeats. What made Miss Joan of Ark jump into iron overalls and slap the English out of France? Hysterix! What made Queen Eliz of England scare her ad- mirals so they didn’t darest come ashore until they knocked Spanish Armada to splintereens? Hysterix! Togo, more older I become, more loftly I reverence that feminine emo- tion so oftenly borrowed by gentlemen for political purposes. When _politi- cians approach up to me and say, ‘We are Safe and Sane’, I am deliciously stingy with my vote. But when they come to and say, ‘We are becomeing Hysterical’, then I donate my votes in advance, because I know that Hysterix is like other breeds of gasolene—com- busted by a good engineer it will take you anywheres. What say Hon. Alf Tennyson, famous bookmaker, about this? He say: “Neath Hysteria’s tattered banner She is strong and He is weak. Glassware is a woman's weapon, Tears befit a husband's cheek.’ I set assimulating this hard knowl- edge for some moment. “O Rev. Old Mr Sir!" I commence with some more chivalry, “ You are simular to Hon. Elihu Root—too much brains for your patriotism. How could you stood there in your Jap- anese sox upraising feminism when it becomes wild and throw bomb?” “Ladies is always wild when they throw anything,” he nudge. “ There- fore pub officials is safe from their dynamite. “Yes so! But when they miss Hon,