Life, 1916-04-06 · page 34 of 80
Life — April 6, 1916 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate satirical pieces: **"Needless Naughtiness"** criticizes the Boston Transcript newspaper for publishing editorials attacking Colonel House (President Wilson's envoy) regarding failed peace mediation efforts in Europe during World War I. The editorial argues the Transcript should stick to its strengths—society announcements and obituaries—rather than partisan commentary. **Congressional cartoon** shows Congress dismissing military concerns about enemy artillery with an offer of brass knuckles instead—satirizing perceived unpreparedness or reluctance to adequately fund military defense. **"Assets" comic** depicts an office boy telling his boss that someone's demanding back alimony from a wife, with a sardonic exchange about making people happy through kissing. The page reflects WWI-era political debate over American involvement and preparedness, while mocking both newspaper pretension and domestic financial troubles.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Needless Naughtiness ISCLOSING at some length in a leaded editorial “The Failure of Colonel House,” the Boston Transcript lately anticipated his “return from Europe without the invitation for Presi- dent Wilson to serve as mediator to the. warring nations which he was sent to secure.” Tut, tut! Why does the Transcript say such things? Why does it print editorials at all? It gives its readers the after- noon news in good form and measure, including the Harvard College items, the Back Bay obituaries, the Vincent Club engagements and the Givers to Good Ob- jects. These last four necessaries the Transcript supplies in a way to beat the world, It ought to stick to them, and to news and to its excellent magazine mat- ter. It has no need to bite a partisan thumb at House and Wilson. It has no need of editorials at all. A paper that can supply its constituency with as steady and reliable a line of engagements and obituaries as the Transcript can command, is superior to editorials, and should leave them to common, struggling papers that have no mortuary and hymeneal pull. As for Colonel House, if he was sent to pick up a job in mediation for Pres dent Wilson, no doubt he got it; if he was sent on some other errand, no doubt he did it. All that is certain in the mat- ter is that neither he nor the President has made a confidant of the Transcript, and that that excellent parochial organ is talking through its bonnet. Congress: DON'T YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT THE ENEMY’S GUNS SHOOTING THIRTY MILES! I'LL BUY YOU A GooD KNUCKLES, AND THAT'S ALL YOU CET. + esos CRUE FEB bebriict peemeem emer Tau88 Mme HAUNTED Assets ARKE: Not a day goes by but FFICE BOY: Guy in front says we ought to make somebody can you let him have some of th’ happy. back alimony you owe his wife! He's Lane (satirically): Well, what did just back from th’ honeymoon trip, and you do yesterday, for example? he needs it! “I kissed my wif comicbooks.com