Life, 1917-04-12 · page 29 of 42
Life — April 12, 1917 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page mocks American pacifism and anti-war sentiment during World War I. The main cartoon satirizes a troubled marriage where the couple "love each other so much they can't live apart"—likely referencing America's conflicted relationship with entering the war. The text sections target pacifist Cabinet members. "Beware of Warlike Measures" sarcastically suggests replacing hawks like Secretary of Treasury McAdoo with famous pacifists (David Starr Jordan, Upton Sinclair, Jane Addams, Emma Goldman) and interning Theodore Roosevelt and Elihu Root in "padded cells." The mockery is clear: these pacifists are portrayed as naive idealists. "As to Sinking Things" argues Germany should abandon submarines and instead focus on overthrowing its autocracy—a jab at both German militarism and the Russian Revolution's success in toppling the tsar. The overall message: pacifism is foolish; America must engage militarily.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
In the Background: “1 WONDER WHY IT IS THEY ARE SO UNHAPPY LIVING TOGETHER.” “THAT'S THE TROUBLE. THEY LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH THEY CAN'T LIVE APART.” Beware of Warlike Measures MAY we timidly suggest that, possibly, KH our Cabinet is too strong? Gy Can't something be done about this? If the President is a pacifist, why } should he not surround himself with Hi] genuine pacifists, instead of the half- hearted kind, who, at any moment, might almost do something? =r" Indeed, we already suspect Mr. Mc- Adoo of evil thoughts, It almost looks as if Mr. McAdoo wanted to prosecute the war. Let’s have a real Cabinet, composed, say, of David Starr Jordan, Upton Sinclair, George Sylvester Viereck, Jane Addams and Emma Goldman. We should, of course, expect to get Mr. Bryan back. Mr. Root, Mr, Roosevelt and Mr. Choate and other dan- gerous characters like that could he interned in padded cells. What we want is a peaceful war. As to Sinking Things GERMANY would get along faster if, instead of spend- ing so much time on submarines to sink ships without warning, she would get hold of some of that ammunition which enabled the Russian people to sink an autocrat without warning. Destiny Loves Company ESTINY scems to be getting gay with mankind, And you can't stop her. All you can do is to get into the game. comicbooks.com