Life — March 1, 1917 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 342 **"The Unquestioned Leaders"** story discusses Hades' crowded throne-room where various historical villains—Nero, Caligula, Cesare Borgia, and others—resent being displaced by modern figures they view as worse. Cesare Borgia notably welcomes German military and government leaders responsible for atrocities in occupied Belgium during (apparently) World War I, proposing they be honored in Hades. **The two cartoons** contrast social venues before and after Prohibition: - **Saloon (Yesterday)**: Working-class men drinking openly - **Tea Room (To-Morrow)**: Same activity continues disguised as genteel tea service The satire mocks Prohibition's ineffectiveness—suggesting illegal drinking will simply relocate to disguised venues rather than actually stop, a common contemporary criticism of the alcohol ban.