Life, 1916-09-14 · page 36 of 38
Life — September 14, 1916 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains **political commentary and advertisements** from WWI-era America (suggested by references to the war and German efficiency). **Key Content:** The poem "The Landscape" satirizes **billboard advertising** cluttering American scenic views—a progressive-era complaint about commercialization ruining nature. The speaker ironically celebrates tobacco, talcum, corset, and chewing-gum ads instead of actual landscapes. "A Boston Brother's Overstatement" **mocks Cardinal O'Connell's** praise of German organizational efficiency during the war. The editor argues that while Germans are well-organized, the Allies have proven their efficiency "irresistible" and will defeat them—reassurance to American readers. "De Mortuis Nil" (roughly "speak no ill of the dead") criticizes **Secretary of War Baker** for calling the recently-deceased Mexican leader Huerta a "dissolute monster." The author notes the hypocrisy: the U.S. recognized Villa, who was equally problematic. The cartoon "Nightmare of a Tourist" (bottom left) depicts a nightmarish figure, likely representing **frustrations with service workers**—porters, waiters—common travel complaints.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE The apprecia- tion of what is good is a mark of distinction. The host watches his guests with in- terest as they sip the 1820 Brandy that came out of the cob-webbed bottle. There will perhaps be only one man in the gathering whose eyes will give back to his the answer- ing gleam of appre- ciation. And it will be that man, too, as one connoisseur to an- other, who will offer his case of Rameses Cigarettes. He has al- ways smoked them. There is no other ciga- rette for him. He and his kind will never change. They say, ‘‘Nobody ever changes from Rameses.”’ That same capacity for appreciation which makes you select the best of everything for your personal use will lead you naturally to ‘The Aristocrat of Cigarettes.” | NIGHTMARE OF A TOURIST—AFTER EN- COUNTERING VAKIOUS WAITERS, PORTERS, ETC. The Landscape OW dear to my heart are the signs on the bill-boards When the New Haven local presents them to view— The smoking tobacco, the borated talcum, ‘The corsets, pianos and chewing-gum, too. Ah, why should we care for a glimpse of the ocean, A look at the hills or the broad, dis- tant view, In place of tobacco and borated taleum, Or corsets, pianos and chewing-gum, too? In fond recollection I'll cherish those pirates Who put up those bill-boards—to with the view! We've smoking tobacco and borated tal- cum And corsets, pianos and chewing-gum, too! Frank A, Waugh. *Deleted by the censor. A Boston Brother's Over- Statement Cardinal O'Connell said: “ There is something that is wonderful—that is simply marvelous—in the German character—in its remarkable capaci- ty for organization, They know how to organize so that such ef- ficiency results that nobody can re- sist then —The New York Times, Aug. UR exalted friend from Boston must not be discouraged about the Germans. It is true enough that they are formidable in organization and hard to beat, but how can he say in this third year of the war that their efficiency is irresistible? The Allies have re: d it to good purpose and seem to have its measure. Hope on, hope ever, Cardinal, and he confident that the Allies are going to whale the stuffing out of German organization and efficiency. Carnally put your money on the They are the best bet, and if hitherto your High Reverence and Grace has not based your ventures on that thought, by all means hedge if you can. G PAPE NUTS—Bryan and Daniels. ‘ilies aad har itp tit i “CELEBRATED HATS Attractive Fall Styles Now on Sale 178-180 Fifth Avenue 181 Broadway NEW YORK Agencies in all = = _ “Don’t-Snore ‘Trade Mark Reg. U.S., Canada & Gt. Britain, Patents STOPS SNORING ANDO MOUTH BREATHING joey refunded Chaterebleand tet , viele on ipformation on Reaue Seaiee SEvice Go. wiooLEbuEe, ths 80r 39. De Mortuis Nil ECRETARY BAKER speaks of Huerta as a “dissolute monster” whom Taft declined to recognize. Oh, fie! Don’t call names! Huer- ta’s dead. Besides, if Huerta was a dissolute monster, what, oh what, was Villa, whom our government was perfectly willing to recognize at any time it seemed warrantable? No doubt Huerta was a hard case. But Mexico is a hard case. Our gov- ernment has heen willing enough to see like cure like in Mexico, if only it would cure. The trouble with Huerta was that the prospect of cure through him was so faint. ‘They mean foot comfort, safety and No diregattcring We attached— is ho Sealy Playiny that would