Life, 1916-03-09 · page 18 of 44
Life — March 9, 1916 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes "hyphenated Americans"—immigrants or their descendants who maintained cultural ties to their homeland while living in America (German-Americans, Irish-Americans, etc.). The cartoon's German soldier waving a flag represents this divided allegiance. The poem attacks those who "play both ends" of the hyphen: praising America when profitable, but cheering for their "Fatherland" (Germany) when hearing about German industrialists like Krupp. The satire compares hyphenated citizens to a mythical creature trying to walk two directions simultaneously, ultimately pulled backward. The final jab suggests such divided loyalty is demonic—the Sunday-school teacher identifies the hyphenate as "the devil." This reflects WWI-era American anxiety about German-American loyalty, particularly as the U.S. contemplated entering the war against Germany. The piece argues true patriotism requires singular national commitment, not straddling two nations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“E DF'E ° The Magic Hyphen THE Hyphen is a bridge, sir, Which, somehow, seems to span An ocean, gulf or ridge, sir, And join “ American. The Hyphenite, a riddle In many a state affair, Plays both ends and the middle And deals in Here and There. POMS FOR FACTORIps, \apows WITH HUMANITARANS When fortune doesn’t frown, sir, And he can make it pay, He lets his Hyphen down, sir, And shouts for U. S. A. But when he hears a Krupp, sir, Across his bridge he scoots, Then pulls his Hyphen up, sir, And “ Fatherland!” he roots. The Hyphen short doth look, sir, But in real life, stretched thin, It goes from Sandy Hook, sir, To Hamburg or Berlin. Some good folk thus are able to Keep touch with birth’s abode: It's useful as a cable, too, To flash a secret code. AND THE HYPHENATE BANNER IN TRI- UMPH SHALL WAVE O'ER THE LAND OF THE FREE AND Tur HOME OF THE BRAVE. Opinions ® ITHOUT him been at war.” “He makes me so weary.” “What courage!" “What shameless inconsistency!” “We are well rid of him. “His career has just begun.” “Patriot!” “Traitor!” we would have Sunday-school Teacher: The chronic hyphenist, sir, Among his other stunts, Is quite a bigamist, sir— He's wed two lands at once. And courts have oft decided In suits involving hearts That love can't be divided In two quite equal parts. The man who wears a Hyphen Two motherlands to praise Is like the fabled gryphon Who tried to walk both ways: His methods were the wrongest That ever beast did wrack— For his hind legs proved the strongest And always pulled him back. Yea, the man who wears a Hyphen Has, pinned to life and limb, A European syphon That keeps its drag on him. But if he loves our Nation, Some surgeon could, I think, Perform an operation Upon that useless link. Wallace Irwin, MY CHILDREN, THIS 1S THE DEVIL comicbooks.com