Life, 1916-04-20 · page 19 of 52
Life — April 20, 1916 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Main Cartoon** depicts military or government officials reviewing maps around a table—likely depicting military strategists or war planners meeting in an official capacity. The title's ironic reference to "the faithful" suggests these are committed believers in military preparedness. **The Three Text Sections** satirize different aspects of pre-WWI American society: 1. **"Butlers Breaking Out in Kansas"** mocks the spread of European refinement to the American heartland—wealthy Kansas farmers now hiring butlers, symbolizing either progress or absurd pretension depending on one's view. 2. **"Handy Mottos for Pacifists"** directly attacks pacifism by sarcastically quoting anti-war sentiments, then undercutting them with the example of Belgium's military unpreparedness leading to German invasion—implying pacifism is dangerously naive. 3. **"Safety Comes Too High"** critiques Americans who resist military spending on cost grounds, arguing that national defense is worth the expense. The page reflects American debate over military preparedness circa 1915-1917, with Life taking a **pro-military, anti-pacifist position**.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE GATHERING OF THE FAITHFUL Butlers Breaking Out in Kansas HE frst advertisement for a butler in the state of Kansas, which recently appeared in a Kansas paper, has been hailed with many philo- sophical and some ominous observations. The high tide of effete civilization is evidently moving westward. Second men will soon be appearing in small numbers in Ohio and Illinois. Hitherto there have been butlers on both Atlantic and Pacific coasts, but they have not penetrated the interior. While their presence at first may seem slightly embarrassing, we believe that in the course of time they will be able to demonstrate their usefulness, Farmers are making money, and every farm ought to have a butler. When the tired Kansas farmer has been out during the day gathering in his vast crop and comes home at night he needs to be pampered. The spectacle of a prosperous Kansas farmer seated at his evening meal in a blue flannel shirt and top boots, waited on by a real butler with snow-white shirt bosom and a claw-hammer, is not of necessity an incon- gruous picture, “SON OF A GUN SISTER Handy Mottos for Pacifists JN times of peace prevent everyone else with whom you don't agree from preparing for war. Belgium was unprepared and look how she has been helped! He who steals my good name steals trash, but he who takes from me my purse takes that from which I would not willingly part. Safety Comes Too High HE greatest obstacle to military preparation is expense. Everything we do in the army or navy line costs a great deal too much, and the immense cost of our over-developed pension system keeps us ask- ing ourselves whether patriotism is not a greater luxury than we can afford. Somehow, national safety has got to be put on such a basis as will bring it within our means. We ought to get a fair rate for such natidnal insur- ance as we need. comicbooks.com