Life, 1915-05-06 · page 15 of 56
Life — May 6, 1915 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical story uses the Biblical tale of Daniel in the lions' den as an allegory for colonial or imperial relations. Daniel represents a colonial power persuading the "lions"—likely depicting colonized peoples or foreign nations—to act against their own immediate interests by appealing to concepts of progress, publicity, and historical legacy. The satire critiques how imperial powers convince others to accept their dominance by framing it as mutually beneficial or historically significant. Daniel's argument—that restraint will bring greater rewards through fame and moral standing—mirrors rhetoric used to justify colonialism as "civilizing" or beneficial. The cartoon's caption, "Our Foreign Possessions," makes the political allegory explicit. The point: imperial powers manipulate others into servitude through flattery and false promises of shared benefit, when the real advantage flows entirely to the colonizer. History, the text suggests ironically, validates this "wise" arrangement.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE LORD IS ANIEL walked boldly into the lions’ den. When the lions came forward to consume him in a conven- tional manner he held up a deprecating hand, “Now listen, lions,” said he “I have no wish to delay your dinner or otherwise interfere with the cost of living, but before you take an irre- parable step there is a little point to which I would like to call your atten- tion, If you will reflect a moment, you will see that you are about to do a most commonplace and platitudinous thing. You can eat me, yes. You can even enjoy me, for 1 venture to believe that i am not so tough as I look. Bie after that, what then? You will have had a nour- ishing meal, that’s all, and the in- cident will soon be forgotten. a, NOT ALWAYS ON THE SIDE OF THE GREATEST NUMBERS How It Happened “But suppose you do something original and refrain from eating me?” he went on. “What then? Can't you see what a tremendous sensation it will create? It will be wonderful, “QUR FOREIGN POSSESSIONS” unbelievable, miraculous. The news- papers will put it on the front page in the biggest type they have. Our fortunes will be made, the social posi- tion of all of us will be assured for- evermore, and the story of it will be handed down through hundreds of generations. You will benefit more than I, for while it will mark me merely as one of the world’s bravest and best men, it will mark you as ab- solutely the wisest and most far-seeing even lions ever known.” The lions, drawing apart, conferred for a considerable time about what the good Daniel themselves had said, and finally decided to take his advice. That their decision was a wise one history amply attests Ellis O. Jones.