Life, 1916-05-04 · page 6 of 52
Life — May 4, 1916 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page commemorates the **Lusitania sinking (May 7, 1915)**, a German U-boat attack on a British passenger liner that killed 128 American citizens. The cartoon "Lest We Forget" shows four figures—likely representing different nations or perspectives—toasting over drinks, with one holding a "Lusitania" newspaper. The implicit message: don't forget this atrocity. The text below sarcastically addresses American readers who might want to "avoid being kicked in the face by Germany" by not subscribing to the next issue. This mocks pacifist sentiment, arguing that appeasement won't prevent further attacks. The advertisement promotes a special "Lusitania Number" of Life magazine for May 9th—capitalizing on public outrage over the tragedy to boost subscriptions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Lest We Forget” (The Lusitania was torpedoed on May 7, 1915) When Will The Next One Be? Perhaps we might have forgotten, but Germany has not failed, at irregular intervals, to remind us, by destroying the lives of other American citizens who, within their rights, were traveling on the high seas. The last reminder was the Sussex. There are, however, a few Amer- icans left who feel that the writing of notes has its limits of endurance. If you think that we should keep on being kicked in the face by Germany then avoid by all means the next issue, or LUSITANIA NUMBER OF Lif Tuesday, May 9th. ra / * One Year, $5.00. (Canadian $5.52; Foreign $6.04 Special Offer Enclosed find One Dol- Open only to new subscribers; no sul scriptions renewed at this rate. LIFE, 17 West 31st Street, New York. 3 comicbooks.com