Life, 1916-03-23 · page 17 of 52
Life — March 23, 1916 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon depicts a man operating a jack-in-the-box labeled "Scott" (likely referring to political or social commentary), with "Frightfulness" emanating from it. A small boy on a leash is being shown not to fear it ("William: don't be afraid. He wouldn't bite nuttin'k"). The accompanying text sarcastically lists absurd future predictions—women in smoking cars, germ-proof masks, armor for street-crossing, licenses for eating mince pie—mocking progressive or reformist proposals of the era as increasingly ridiculous overreach. **The American Voice** section critiques Boston media's call to improve American speech, arguing it's futile given modern urban noise (airplanes, horns, engines). The **Unsung** poem laments that poets romanticize childhood but forget paydays—the practical reality of working life. The final line about Germany reflects post-WWI bitterness toward German wartime actions, suggesting lasting international resentment. Overall, the page blends social satire with political commentary typical of interwar American humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
William: Carrying Things Only a Little arther— \WoMEN will ride in the smoking- cars. Novels will be classed under “ Eco- nomics and Sociology.” We shall add to the Cabinet a Sec- retary of Publicity. Every citizen of the United States will have founded a peace society. Wages will just be able to pay the taxes. Everyone will wear a germ-proof mask. No one will be allowed to eat mince pie without a license. Or to cross a street down-town with- out a suit of armor. DOND'T BE AFRAIDT. The American Voice 'HE Boston Transcript has an ar- ticle on improving the American voice. This is a laudable ideal, but can it ever be accomplished with all of the competition in noises? The American voice may rise to any emergency, but it has only one utter- ance after all, whereas there is no limit to the other noises being constantly invented. Amid the whirring of aeroplanes, the tooting of auto-horns, the clang of street-car bells, the chug of engines, and the blasts of the Col- onel, what chance has the American voice? HE VOULDN’T BITE NUTTINK Wile poets sing of halcyon days, Of childhood days and May days, We must regret That they forget Those happy days—the pay days. Though pay days come and pay days go, There rarely is a sad one; The poets, too, Would tell it you, But perhaps they never had one. Joseph P. Hanrahan. ERMANY will never be loved for the enemies she has made. comicbooks.com