Life, 1915-09-30 · page 18 of 45
Life — September 30, 1915 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is heavy political satire mocking American unpreparedness for war and blind faith in military solutions. The article humorously describes discovering an old Civil War cannon buried in Brooklyn Navy Yard, which is then hailed as a transformative national defense asset. The joke: Secretary of War Garrison and Navy Secretary Daniels express absurd confidence that *one ancient gun* will terrify Germany into submission and make America invincible. Stock markets rise. Berlin supposedly abandons defiance. The satire ridiculously suggests this single weapon solves America's military vulnerability. The "Arbitrator" cartoon (left) appears to depict a figure settling disputes—possibly commenting on America's self-deception about military strength. The piece satirizes both military leadership's incompetence and the public's gullible patriotism during the pre-WWI period when America faced genuine debates about military readiness and intervention. The satire highlights how easily people accept reassuring but absurd claims about national security.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LIF E * buried. Calling loudly for help, he eventually awoke one of the German-American machinists employed on the place, and the siege-gun was soon excavated, Imagine the sensa- tion when it was discovered that it could be used. Bored out and mounted, it will shoot a projectile weighing several pounds for three or four miles right out into the middle of the ocean, It is understood that a Bridgeport projectile factory has consented to stop making ammunition for foreign shipment long enough to turn out a projectile for this purposq Yet there are captious critics who declare that our home manufacturers are unpatriotic. Word was received from Washington at a late hour last night that upon its arrival in the East our siege-gun will be handsomely mounted on a freight car now waiting to receive it and will be stationed somewhere on the coast. When tiews of the approach of an enemy is received it will be hurried to the crit spot, thus insuring the safe of New York, Boston, ‘Philadelphia and parts of Georgia. A prominent army officer said this morning: “TI have no hesitancy in saying that the discovery of a siege-gun now places us in the fronk rank among the fighting nations of the world.” THE ARBITRATOR Country Safe at Last Triumphal Progress of New Siege-gun Throughout Prin- cipal States a Continuous Ovation. Wonderful Story of Its Discovery. National Rejoicing. UR national siege-gun, discovered and mounted through the enterprise of Lire, is now on its way from San Francisco. Everywhere it has met with enthusiastic cheers. “Now that we have a siege-gun,” said Secretary Garri- son, “I feel better. No foreign nation can assail us with impunity.” Yesterday stocks rose ten points. It is said on good authority that the German-American Fatherland will sus- pend, Berlin's attitude during the past week has materially changed. Before we had a siege-gun Berlin was plainly defiant. Now she will do anything we desire, retary Daniels, when seen, said: “T see that we have a siege-gun. Good! The idea of getting one and mounting it somewhere on our coast in plain sight of an approaching enemy has long been a cherished dream of mine. I think with another revenue cutter or so and a couple of rounds of ammunition we shall he able to hold our own against any nation in the world.” The story of how the siege-gun was discovered is an epoch in our national history. One day a representati of Lire, on his vacation and in search of absolute quiet, had abandoned Greenwood Cemetery and was strolling in the Brooklyn Navy Yard when his foot struck on a piece of iron projecting from the ground. It was but the work COMPOSITE PHOTOGRAPH OF 3% SOCIETY WOMEN cour avro NEWPORT rio" AEKO ATLANTIC CITY af an instant to discover a sunken gun, one doubtless eft gg { sguri# MATCH yantt MuOW’ none are. a sea there during the days of the Civil War aad long since comicbooks.com