Life, 1915-03-25 · page 17 of 44
Life — March 25, 1915 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents cynical commentary on American social hypocrisy during World War I era. The main cartoon "If They Told the Truth" mocks dining-car service and upper-class pretense through brutal honesty—servers admit they discourage criticism, customers confess their true financial desperation and social fakery. The bottom cartoon, "Esprit Versus Kultur," depicts a conflict between a German (Herr Hammerschlegel) and Frenchman (Monsieur) who insult each other while claiming superiority. The caption suggests both are equally foolish. The brief note about Ambassador Bernstorff's recall to Berlin references German diplomacy during WWI, when such departures signaled shifting international relations. The overall message: American society thrives on dishonesty and false appearances, while Europeans engage in equally futile posturing. The satire aims at exposing the gap between professed values and actual behavior across social classes and international relations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LIFE: 501 If They Told the Truth | came to your dinner because my wife dragged me here, old man, and not for any love of your commonplace mind and your old chestnuts.” “Yes, sir, we invite criticism of our dining-car service to lull people into the belief that we serve real food. But if anyone criticizes, we naturally put him down as a crank and treat him ac- Poaid beers cording to a regular formula.” IGREAT "RUSS. “Will you hurry my change, please?” IVICTORY tn “No, ma'am. I'll make you think it is oe being hurried, but it isn’t, I assure you. It will take you just as long to get it as usual.” “Yes, I know that people think me a mil- lionaire, which is naturally a source of satis- faction, but in reality all my property is mortgaged. I am living on credit, my wife is nagging me for money all the time, and I can’t sleep nights thinking about it.” “T have always thought you a rather re- fined, handsome woman of a certain charm, but, as I have been looking at you and studying you for the past ten minutes, it has suddenly dawned upon me that you are really vulgar, uninteresting, unoriginal and—how old you grow!” “Yes, ma'am, that last ton of coal T sent you was not up to the mark But wait for the next one—that will be worse.” “Tam in the habit of saying that T adore reading, but T don’t. I abhor it, and I’ve never read a line of Shake- speare and only one of Dickens and Thackeray, but I talk as if I had.” Will Be Regretted "THE papers report that Ambassador Bernstorff has been recalled to Berlin. His departure will be regretted hy a great number of our fellow-citizens who would be well satisfied at this time of crisis and difficulty to have the German concerns in these States remain in his hands. s ESPRIT VERSUS KULTUR HEN the whole story of American Herr Hammerschlegel (winding up the argument): 1 THINK You Iss relicf to Belgium is told there A STUPID FooL! will be a new appreciation of the Monsieur: AND 1 SINK YOU A POLITE GENTLEMAN ; BUT POSSIBLE, IS IT, Rockefeller Foundation as a_pinch- WE BOTH MISTAKEN. hitter.