Life, 1917-04-19 · page 11 of 42
Life — April 19, 1917 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main illustration depicts two military figures on a ship's deck—one in civilian clothes, one in full naval uniform with medals. The caption quotes the Secretary of the Navy suggesting the civilian should say "Port your helm" instead of using profanity. The right column lists German-related topics Americans supposedly avoid mentioning to German friends during WWI: Belgian atrocities, the Lusitania sinking, poison gas, and various war crimes. This is satirical commentary on diplomatic awkwardness and suppressed wartime grievances. Below are humor pieces: "All Settled" jokes about a domestic dispute, "The Application" features a bishop at dinner, and small cartoon figures labeled "Come, brother!" The overall page satirizes WWI-era tensions, military protocol, and social hypocrisy about discussing uncomfortable historical events.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
671 Things We Never Mention to Our German Friends ELGIUM, The Lusitania, And countless other vessels. Frightfulness, Scraps of paper, Rheims, Louvain, And countless other cities. Hymns of Hate, Edith Cavell, Captain Fryatt, And countless other martyrs. Poison gas, Liquid fire, The Mexican-Japanese plot, And countless other plots. Disavowals, The detention of Mr, Gerard, And countless other acts of impudence, “Me und Gott,” Deportations, Barbarians, Wilhelm. Something Coming to the Fans F we get far enough into war it may make a clean sweep of summer sports — especially college sports. If the baseball season was suspended, outlying parts of the country might be- gin to suspect there was something go- ing on. - “‘DoOXt you think Senator La Fol- lette’s vitality is wonderful? “Oh, I don’t know. talk continuously and not think is likely to live forever.” A man who can EWS paper is getting scarcer all the time. Why not Icave out the pacifists’ Iet- ters? Secretary of the Navy: Anv, By THE w. ADMIRAL, THE PHRASE “ YOUR HELM” SAVORS OF INTEMPERANCE. IN FUTURE I WOULD SUGUEST IN- STEAD “| GRAPE-JUICE YOUR HELM.” All Settled ODD: Are you sure your wife knows I'm going home to dinner with you? Toop: Knows! Well, rather! Why, my dear fellow, I argued with her about it this morning for nearly half an hour. The Application HE BISHOP (at the Dimpleton’s dinner table): Yes, my friends, it is one of my firm beliefs that we never are given more than we can bear. Borate: In that case, mamma, I think I could hold another plate of ice- cream, “COME, BROTHER!” comicbooks.com