Life, 1915-06-17 · page 11 of 52
Life — June 17, 1915 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece imagines conversations with historical figures—apparently including Commodore John Paul Jones and references to naval history. The main interview discusses the American navy's development, with the "dead celebrity" (shown with a twinkle in his eye) skeptically commenting on modern naval progress. He expresses doubt that the current American navy has improved much since his era, and questions whether a large modern navy is necessary. The accompanying cartoon below depicts a confused father figure ("Great Scott") discovering something unexpected—apparently "eight eggs" when there should have been "double yolks," playing on the phrase "double yolks" as a contemporary expression of surprise or absurdity. The page satirizes both historical naval policy and domestic confusion.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Reading from left to right: LOOSEWAYS, MR, BUGHOUSE TODD, M SOME WELL KNOWN PEOPLE LORD DRYNKMORE, MISS GLADYS BULLION, S SHADY PAST, MRS, WURSEN YUCELISS, MR. PLATO PUNK, MRS, ROBERT MRS, KAKLYN HENNE, MR, ROBERT GOLDENGRAFT, MR. JUSTON NASS, MRS, STILOR NUTHEN Interviews With Dead Celebrities E was glad to see me. A man of few words, with a Yankee sen- tentiousness, he was nevertheless al- most enthusiastic, “T've been hoping some modern would come along,” he said. “Sit down, It’s tremendously interesting, this navy development, isn’t it? And to think we started it.” “You mean—?" “Why, it was out of your Civil War, wasn’t it, that the modern battleship was evolved? Oh, yes, although I've been dead much longer than that, I manage to keep track of history.” “We thought you started the navy, Commodore John Paul Jones.” “T did my part, doubtless.” “Tell us your opinion about recent events. Do you beli that we should have a large na His eye twinkled. “No, sir!” he exclaimed. “That, I think, would be a great mistake. I don’t think the American navy should be more than twice as large as that of England, Germany, France and Japan. I don’t believe in too large a navy.” “And what Josephus Daniels “T have no opinion of him.” “What's the difference between our navy of to-day and of the time when you fought the Serapis?” He reflected. “It isn’t so great as you think,” he said, “After all, it lies largely in the quality of the men rather than the ships under them.” “What is the most important thing about the navy?” “Speed.” “Is that why our battleships, with one or two exceptions, are slower than any others?” “I suppose so, Congresses don't change very much. In my time I had trouble in that direction.” “Well, Commodore Jones, to be is your opinion of brief, do you think we've made any real progress since your time? Are we any better than we were?” He shook his head. “No,” he said in our time there was no Josephus Daniels.” Happy (?) Father: creat scort, DOCTOR, THERE MUST BE SOME MISTAKE; THERE WERE ONLY EIGHT EGGS! “YES, BUT THREE OF THEM DOUBLE YoLKs!” HAD comicbooks.com