Life, 1915-07-15 · page 16 of 48
Life — July 15, 1915 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine satire mocks German wartime efforts to increase population through polygamy. During World War I, Germany faced manpower shortages, so the story imagines a pastor in the town of Eisen persuaded by a clever young woman named Gretchen that men should take ten wives each—"for the good of the Fatherland." The joke works on multiple levels: it satirizes both German militarism's desperation and the absurdity of male enthusiasm for the arrangement. When respectable women try to stop it, they're powerless. The final twist—that all babies born are boys, so women will eventually need ten husbands each—turns the tables, suggesting the folly of such schemes. The page also includes unrelated satirical definitions mocking suffragettes and a tire advertisement. The cartoon illustrates the Fourth and Fourteenth of July celebrations with patriotic female figures.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
104 “About everything?” “Ja, about everything.” “The Bible says that Jacob had two wives and that Solomon had seven hundred wives, Is it right for men to have many wives?” “Tt was right in Bible days,” affirmed the pastor guardedly. “In those times many wives were needed to populate the land.” “Many wives are needed now to populate the land,” asserted Gretchen, “Why should not each man in Eisen take now ten wives?” “Tt is against the |. pastor, “It is not against Bible law.” The pastor pondered ten minutes, i he answered, “it is not inst Bible law.” It would be for the good of the Fatherland.” The pastor pondered twenty minutes, “Ja,” he decided, “it would be for the good of the Fatherland.” “We will do it,” announced Gret- chen, “Ten of us will take one husband. Better a tenth of a husband than never any husband, Will, you marry us?” The pastor pondered thirty minutes. “Ja.” he said at length, “for the good of the Fatherland.” Quickly Gretchen spread her news. Quickly the girls accepted the Gretchen plan, Quickly they formed them- selves into groups of ten and selected a husband, Quickly the twenty-eight men accepte What man wouldn't? Only Selma Kronk, the homeliest of homely old maids, was left unmated. In indignant dismay she hastened to Frau Werner's kaffee-klatch and un- folded to the married women assem- led there the schreckliche Gretchen plan, “Impossible!” asserted Frau Stern. declared the speakable!” declared Frau Heitner, “It must not be!” announced Frau Werner. In outraged wrath they appealed to their husbands to interfere, “Tt is for the good of the Father- land,” the husbands one and all de- clared. “What man would not have ten wives if he could?” They appealed to the Mayor, to the Governor, even to the Kaiser himself, THE Days but in vain. Toa man they welcomed the idea. So the Gretchen plan was carried out. Each war hero took ten wives, not only in Eisen, but throughout the land, Nevertheless, Frau Werner and the other aggrieved respectable advocates of monogamy had their revenge. As invariably happens after a war, all the babies born were boy babies. “Aha!” cried Frau Werner exult- antly, as each new birth was an- nounced, “Twenty years from now there will not be women enough to go around, Each wife then will have to have ten husbands, I wonder how the men will like that?” Guide to Terms’ (For the Use of Suffragettes.) LLOT: A ticket of admission to a choice of evils, Ricuts: Freedom to neglect your Owning your own latch The stupid majority against WE CELEBRATE The Tire OME tires we have met are not unlike clergymen. They have knobby treads, an elastic surface and are filled with hot air; when you puncture them they go back on you and are useless. One singular thing about the tire is that so much of it has to be thrown away when so little of it is used to serve your purpose. Once wear down a thin line of it to the point that it breaks, and all the rest has to be thrown away. Human beings, however, are not unlike that. Only a small part of any one of us is of any consequence. Tires enable us to make a greater speed than otherwise. Without them we would have to remain at home. In short, we are tired in order that we may be more tired. some TE: What do you do when a man tries to kiss you? Marjorie: Oh, that’s something you'll have to find out for your- self, comicbooks.com