Life, 1916-09-14 · page 32 of 38
Life — September 14, 1916 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy under President Wilson. The main article mocks Daniels's known temperance advocacy by suggesting sarcastically that he install stained-glass windows in Navy ships depicting moral virtues—including "Secretary of the Navy drinking grape juice," a jab at his abstinence in an era when sailors traditionally drank alcohol. The "Pepys on Mr. Daniels" section reinforces this criticism by quoting 17th-century diarist Samuel Pepys's complaints about naval management (incompetence, insufficient funding) and suggesting these same criticisms apply to Daniels—implying he's poorly suited to manage the fleet. The cartoons below are unrelated commercial advertisements. The satire reflects ongoing contemporary debate about Daniels's fitness for office and his efforts to enforce moral and temperance standards among servicemen.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Merely a Suggestion a le instil pious thoughts into the minds of United States sailors Mr. Daniels might replace the present blank-glass port-holes with stained-glass discs representing the virtues and beatitudes in operation along modern lines. This innovation should prove popular among the men, and certainly would tend to round out their course in theology during the period of enlistment. Subjects suggested at random would be: Sailor refusing drink; marine closing eyes on passing burlesque house; Secretary of the Navy drinking grape juice in company with oratorical friend. Life Prints Copr. Life Pub. Co. Copr. Life Pub. Co. Ring Around The Moon Genuine Photogravure. Size 9 x12 in. Price 25 cents. Copr. Life Pub. Co. Printed in colors on plate-marked Bristol. Size 12x16 in. Price 25 cents. Copr. Life Pub. Co. Rare Form Working To Beat Hell Printed in colors on plate-marked Bristol Genuine Photogravure. New size 11x tg in. Size 12x16 in. Price 25 cents. Price 25 cents. Shipped Prepaid to Any Address Upon Receipt of Price LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY 17 West 31st Street New York The Masquerade The smooth underarm of the decolleté toilette is easily and con- veniently acquired by the use of ’ ° Evans’s Depilatory This powder removes objection- able hair temporarily. There is no safe way to remove hair permanently. Applied occasion= ally, it keeps the skin entirely free. 0c for outfit, inclod- ing mixing dish, spoon and powder. At drug- and department-stores or from us by mail— please send us your dealer's name and address. Money back if you want it. George B Evans 1106 Chestnut St Philadelphia Pa Makers of ‘*Mum"" Pepys on Mr. Daniels AM troubled at my heart to think that such a knave as he has the whole management of the fleet.” “A modest civil person he seems to be, but wholly ignorant in the business of the navy. “We were discoursing about the places where to build ten great ships; but it is impossible to do it, unless we have more money.” No, these sentences were not written by some journalist of to-day, but are quoted almost at random from the jour- nal of Mr. Samuel Pepys, who had a good deal to do with the British navy in 1660 and following years. Some of Mr. Pepys’ remarks might have been written with Mr. Daniels in mind. stron P Ph, THINGS THAT NEVER WERE Visitor: T1818 snocktNc—t THOUGHT YOU'D WON YOUR CASE. “yo! MY FOOL OF A LAWYER DEMANDED yustice—axo 1 cot iT!”