Life, 1916-12-07 · page 23 of 94
Life — December 7, 1916 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not a cartoon but an editorial essay with decorative Christmas border illustration. The unsigned piece addresses American ambivalence during World War I—likely written before U.S. entry (1917). The text critiques national division: half blame government inadequacy; half credit government competence for avoiding worse outcomes. Americans are wealthy yet dissatisfied, reluctant to enter war yet unsatisfied staying neutral. The author suggests deeper anxiety: material prosperity masks spiritual poverty. Citizens fear the war will end without forcing national sacrifice or discipline upon them. The essay's conclusion appeals to Christmas values—moral courage, justice, neighborly love—as the only true national salvation. External defenses (armies, navies) cannot protect a spiritually weakened nation. The piece reflects Progressive-era anxieties about materialism, national character, and moral purpose during wartime uncertainty.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Christmas Life of us believe that the trouble is that our government has not been equal to the situation, and the other half think that if our government had not been unusually able we should have been feeling much worse than we are. We do not agree as to what is good for us. We were never so rich, and seldom so disgruntled. We are by no means de- sirous to be in the war, and yet we are far from satisfied in staying out. We are getting in quantities of money, and are resigned to that, but have horrible misgivings that Providence is favoring us in the pocket at the cost of our souls. Some of us fear that the war will pass without our getting any adequate discipline. Others fear it will not. Many of us believe that we need discipline more than money, but it is hard for a nation to embrace discipline by choice, and we fear that it will not be forced upon us soon enough to save us. Really, the pith of much of the dissatisfaction with our President is that he has not laid us on the altar of sacrifice. He won't, if he can help it. No President will. It is not good politics to lay one’s country on the altar of sacrifice if it can honorably be avoided. No one has the right to do it. We seem to lack troubles, but that is a want that is usually sup- plied in time, and we may get ours at any moment, and even in our Christmas stocking. But it is interesting that we should be so prospered and so disturbed about it; so fat and so unsatisfied. It argues a gen- eral suspicion that the spiritual things are the most worth and no extent of material benefit makes up for spiritual shortage. We are invited to make ourselves so strong in arms and navies that Fate will not be able to call us to account. The advice seems sound, but how- ever perfectly we follow it, Fate will call us to account. Incessantly we sow; inexorably we reap; nor armies nor navies will protect us from the harvest if our sowing is bad. External defenses are no pro- tection against internal disease. Rules cannot save us, because circum- stances change and rules fail. But a sound spirit will save us, if not from mistakes, at least from destruction. That is our great need now, the leading of a sound and wise spirit, that is not rash nor truculent, but will not shrink from hurt or danger in a just cause; that ‘will not lean on force in a bad cause, nor lack it in a good one; that loves his neighbor, big or small, and will help him in his necessity. That is the spirit of Christmas, and not by any other will the world improve. comicbooks.com