Life, 1916-02-17 · page 17 of 52
Life — February 17, 1916 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several satirical pieces mocking American politics circa 1910s-1920s. **"The Gas Bomb"** and **"Pan-America"** critique a Pan-American conference or initiative, questioning who controls the agenda and what benefits it actually delivers ("who holds the handle and what's in the pan?"). **"Stands for a Large Body"** ridicules Theodore Roosevelt's claim to represent "a large body of people." The joke: Roosevelt alone represents numerous versions of himself (explorer, historian, etc.), and since he and his associates all weigh over 250 pounds, they literally constitute "a large body of people"—a pun on his physical bulk. **"Excitement Runs High"** mocks Wilson administration bureaucracy, sarcastically listing absurd "war supplies" (penholders, pen points, ink, codes) needed for diplomatic operations—suggesting excessive paperwork and administrative bloat. **"Salve, Lampoon"** congratulates Harvard's satirical magazine on forty years of success. **"Overcharged"** criticizes the Tribune editor for over-indulging in anti-Wilson rhetoric.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE GAS BOMB Pan-America A. B. C. Speaks AN-AMERICA—glorious name! Statesmanlike purpose and brothers ly aim! May the gods favor and prosper the plan; But—who holds the handle, and what's in the pan? One man’s poison, another man's meat; What's in the pan? Is it wholesome to eat? Good for the North and the Central and South, Pleasant — for mouth? each Pan-American Who holds the pan we are called to admire? Any one’s fat due to fall in the fire? Pan-America—excellent plan! But—who holds the handle and what's in the pan? Stands for a Large Body “I CAN no longer follow Colonel Roosevelt,” says Jane Addams. “It is my sober judgment that he does not speak for any large body of people.” How many is a large body? The Colonel speaks for “the Col- onel,” for “T. R.,” for “ Teddy,” for ex-President Roosevelt, for Roosevelt the Faunal Expert, Roosevelt the Ex- plorer, Roosevelt the Historian, Dr. Roosevelt of Oxford and the Hon. Theodore Roosevelt of Oyster Bay. We call that quite a crowd, and when you consider that not a man in it weighs less than 250 pounds it has a fair claim to be considered a large body of people. Excitement Runs High ASHINGTON dispatch: White House issues order for necessary war supplies: Carload penholders. Two carloads pen points. Four tankers of ink. Hundred gross diplomatic transmit- ting codes. 289 Salve, Lampoon ONGRATULATIONS to the Har- vard Lampoon on completion of forty years of solvent existence. The Lampoon began in 1876 with no capital except a limited credit at the printer's. It now owns a house and lot, a faithful advertising constituency, and a circulation, all acquired by ink, the use of wits, and cultivation of the habit of impudence. Te duce, Caesar! Overcharged 'HE editor of the Tribune seems in the way to get all the Wilson poison out of his system. It has been coming up lately in such quantities as to make one wonder how one editorial inside ever held so much. GET THEE BEHIND ME, SATAN '—BUT NOT TOO FAR BEHIND”