Life, 1916-05-18 · page 6 of 48
Life — May 18, 1916 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This LIFE magazine page satirizes American isolationism during a period when England faced naval threats (likely WWI or WWII era, based on the "U.S. Navy" vessel depicted). The central cartoon shows a crowded ship labeled "U.S. Navy" packed with American institutions and symbols—appearing to represent American society—sailing away from danger. The quote "So long as England's Navy controls the bounding sea" (attributed to Josephus) sarcastically suggests Americans feel safe relying on British naval protection while remaining detached. The accompanying text mocks American complacency: readers won't shrink from knowing about this "humorous paper," yet many Americans assume they can avoid vacation involvement in world affairs—the ironic point being that geographic isolation provides false security when global events demand attention. The satire criticizes American detachment from international responsibilities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“So long as England's Navy controls the bounding sea (Says Josephus) I care not a grape for nobody and nobody cares for me.” Look for our Wilson Page next week. Things We Don’t Shrink From Knowing Up to the present writing there is but one humorous paper in the United States. This paper can be obtained only with the utmost difficulty after Tuesday each week, on account of the absurd demand for it. The total number of readers would occupy to the brim ten Yale bowls— and then some. It is fatal to begin the summer by becoming a regular dollar subscriber, because then you would stay home and enjoy yourself—whereas every Amer- ican thinks he must go on a vacation and be miserable. Enclosed Dol (Canadian $1.13, Foreign $1.26). Send Lire for three months to Open only to new subscribers; no sub scriptions renewed at this rate. LIFE, 17 West 31st Street, New York. 35 f / One Year, $5.00. (Canadian $5.52; Foreign $6.04.) 7 comicbooks.com