Life — March 29, 1917 — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SIGNS OF SPRING German Conspirators LETTER to the Springfield Re- publican, dated Hartford, March and, draws a picture of American pros- pects if we get into war with Ger- many that is unusually “Those who clamor for war,” it says, “do not seem to realize the situation, German sappers and miners, bomb- throwers, soldiers of every descrip tion are lying in wait. The very instant war is declared they will be at work. Our whole country lies fal- low to attacks that will paralyze the whole great community. The situa- tion seems so incomprehensibly ter- rible that if spread abroad in detail in print’ it might render panic- stricken the whole nation. That the situation is what it is should lead those, like editors, who control pub- lic opinion, to avert war if possible at the expense even of the most humiliating terms. There are still possibilities in parleying. If we are to avert actual devastation in our homes let us resort to them. This Hartford brother is doubtless joking. But a fairly good sport, if he believed all that the letter says about the calamities that impend if we get into war, would still want to get in so as to sce what would really happen. In these parts the impression obtains that matters are better in hand than the Hartford satirist suggests. For example: A man who understood Ger- man overheard two Germans in a New York street car arranging for an ex- plosion. As he got out, his seat-mate, following, stopped him on the platform and said: “Do you know what those chaps were talking about?” “Ye. “Will you tell me?” “T don’t know who you are.” “Tf you knew, you would tell m He did tell him. “ Much obliged,” said the man. “That's just what I wanted.” He turned back into the car and said to three other men: “Take those fellows!” They took them, and put handcuffs on them. “That makes fifteen to-day,” said the active man to the attentive passenger. We do not know exactly how much our government knows about German spies and marauders, but it is not flat on its back. If it were, we ought to know it, even though the knowledge cost something. It may cost some damage to our home premises to get into war with Germany, but not more than it is GREAT AMERICANS (With apologies to Lincoln and Crawford) MR. 1, BREEDEM WRIGHT'S HOME-BRED JLLDOG, SICKHAM TIGER, WHICH BEAT MK. RYAM ENNY-PRICE’S IMPORTED CHOW, "ANDSOME 'ARRY, FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE GARDEN. worth. We are entitled to know more about who's who in America than can be found as-yet in any book. A Pleasant Pastime NE of the most fascinating amuse- ments we know about is in com- paring the traits of great men with our own. Perhaps you have ordered something which you cannot afford. Be not dismayed or cast down by this sceming weakness. Both Alexander Hamilton and Daniel Webster, one the greatest financier and. the other the greatest constitutional lawyer in America, did not pay their bills. Possbly you are a married man and your wife confides to you some day that you have treated her badly. Do not despair. Offer to read aloud to her the autobiography of Richard Wagner, one of the greatest men in history, and how he treated his wife. Thus, no matter how mean, small, parsimonious, cowardly, cruel, con- temptible, and utterly lost you are to all semblance of humanity, chger up! Be assured there is within you not a mean, despicable trait that cannot be duplicated in some of the greatest men who have lived. Come, Sisters; Get Your Papers! T came out in the filibuster in the late Senate that Mr. O'Gorman rep- resented Ireland, Mr. Gronna, Sweden, Mr. Stone, Mr. Kirby and several others, Germany. Will not these countries please take out papers and join the Union? It is an embarrassment to have them represented so effectively in Congress and still remain free of the obligations of our Federal compact. comicbooks.com