Life, 1916-02-24 · page 17 of 48
Life — February 24, 1916 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon satirizes opportunism during wartime preparedness debates. "Mr. Josephus Pax" (his name ironically means "Joseph Peace") is depicted as a pacifist who suddenly becomes a military advocate after receiving a prestigious appointment to the governor's staff—suggesting he adopted hawkish views purely for social advancement and prestige rather than principle. The accompanying text mocks the "Society for the Aggravation of American Sentimentality," criticizing Americans who opposed military preparedness on moral grounds while praising their own "righteousness" and inactivity. This references pre-WWI isolationist sentiment, sardonically suggesting such pacifism was hypocritical moralizing. The "Starters" section jokes about renaming cities with commercial/materialist names (Chicago to "St. Bacon"), mocking American commercialism. The final section poses rhetorical questions about American hypocrisy: child labor, newspaper corruption by advertisers, and clergy compromised by yellow journalism—all suggesting American institutions lacked moral integrity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MR. JOSEPHUS PAX DID NOT BELIEVE IN PREPAREDNESS UNTIL HE WAS APPOINTED A MEMBER OF THE GOVERNOR'S STAFF has all come along with free education, the immense multiplication of readers, and the rise of advertising. This habit of letting writers sign their names is only an incident of the change. The important factor is the advertiser. The writer is the bait used to catch him and can get his price as bait. He is better bait and worth more when he signs his name, It is a question whether writers should be bought for the sake of peri- odicals, or periodicals for the sake of writers. The existing system favors the latter method. It is not a perfect system. The possibility of gain develops 341 acquisitiveness in all kinds of men, and it is not without its effect writers. But all writers are not wholly commercialized, and a first class pub- lisher or editor who has literary and ethical standards can still buy better writers, and buy them cheaper, than one whose controlling even on im is money. E, S. Martin, S.A. A. S. HE Society for the Aggravation of American Sentimentality will hold its next mecting at the first oppor- tunity. Several topics will be discussed. Speeches will be made on the useless- ness of war, the high moral tone of America’s inactivity, and the righteous- ness of being unwilling to prepare for what is likely to happen. After the speeches are made some beautiful reso- lutions will be passed. In case of a disagreement in regard to something or other the Society will adjourn as usual. Starters HE Russian Emperor having set the fashion in changing the name of his capital, it has naturally been sug gested that we avail ourselves of this opportunity and introduce some modern municipal nomenclatural improvements Asa fair start we might change: New York to Movi Philadelphia to Pedigree Centre. Boston to Cerebreton, Chicago to St. Bacon Washington to Scandalav Questions That Ought To Be Answered Ww T state in the Union has the greatest number of child laborers, and the greatest laxity cerning them? What daily newspaper is there pub- lished within the United States that has refused to be influenced in any degree by its advertisers? in its laws con- Who is the distinguished clergyman, who, when asked to write for a certain yellow journal, refused to do so on the ground that it would demean him in the eyes of his constituency ? What great American has accumulated a reputation for executive inability?