Life, 1916-04-27 · page 13 of 44
Life — April 27, 1916 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon, titled "Sam: I See No German Menace," depicts a large British warship with guns, while a small figure labeled "US" stands to the left and a caricatured figure (appearing to represent a British or Allied perspective) stands to the right. The satire addresses American isolationism versus European military concerns during what appears to be a pre-WWI or interwar period context. The accompanying article discusses Princeton and navy matters, debating institutional efficiency and leadership. The lower cartoon, "And Runs Away / May Live to Wed Another Day," shows figures in comedic flight, likely satirizing cowardice or romantic entanglements—a common humor theme in Life magazine. The page overall uses visual satire to comment on military preparedness, institutional leadership, and social behavior of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
enough, but of no real value as infor- mation. Mr. Wilson is thought to have done Princeton a good, and Mr. Daniels may do some good to the navy. But a navy is different from a college. It is a kind of megatherium ; an out-of-date insti- tution consecrated to efficiency in de- struction, that flourishes best in a somewhat out-of-date atmosphere. An attempt to make it over to match the standards of prohibitionists and other eager reformatory politicians is amus- ing to watch, but for men whose lives have been given to the navy it has its tragic side. A college is not consecrated to efficiency in destruction. It is a more robust organism than a navy, and can stand rougher handling. When Mr. Wilson turned the soapman’s money away from Princeton and de- fied the philanthropic millionaire, there were many grins of sympathy. And of course Princeton survived. But when Daniels sets out “to humble that gold- laced aristocracy” of clergymen’s sons come to be admirals, it is a much more serious matter, The power of the Sam: 1 SEE NO GERMAN MENACE Raleigh newspaperman over the navy is far greater than the power of Dr. Wilson over the Princeton faculty. Daniels is an autocrat. There is no appeal from him. What he says is or- ders. If navies are so out of date that they must go, he is as good a man as another to break the spirit of ours, and send it on its way to Davy Jones. But if navies, whatever their faults, are still indispensable, ours should have a different master. E, S. Martin, Unavailing DREAM not, madame, the artist's line And subtle curve of winter dress, Which unsuspecting men impress, Reveal to all thy form divine. You look quite slim, I don’t deny, Although you. know you're rather stout; Too bad that there are men about Who saw you swimming in July. J.C. HL AND RUNS AWAY MAY LIVE TO WED ANOTHER DAY.” comicbooks:com