Life, 1917-04-19 · page 28 of 42
Life — April 19, 1917 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains WWI-era American satire (likely 1914-1918). **The Professor cartoon** mocks female suffragists: a professor pontificates about gender equality while a woman sarcastically congratulates him, implying his beliefs are self-serving hypocrisy rather than genuine principle. **"When in Doubt"** sardonically advises readers to invert the Evening Mail's editorial positions—trust the opposite of what it publishes. This critiques the newspaper's perceived unreliability or bias. **"An Alphabet of Unnecessary People"** is a cutting list of societal occupations deemed worthless: astrologers, chorus-men, evangelists, palmists, etc. It reflects wartime frustration with perceived frivolity and waste. **"Feed the Belgians!"** addresses Belgium's desperate food shortage during German occupation. The final cartoon darkly suggests that high food costs will accomplish what evolution couldn't—implying mass starvation. This bitter satire condemns American reluctance to aid Belgian relief efforts. All pieces reflect American wartime cynicism and social criticism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“OMY DEAR LADY, 1 GO FURTHER THAN BELIEVING IN WOMAN SUPFRAGE, 1 MAINTAIN THAT MAN AND WOMAN ARE EQUAL IN EVERY WAY.” “On, PROFESSOR ! When in Doubt HEN in doubt about the war and what to do, read the Evening Mail. Notice what it does not wish to he- lieve, and believe it Observe what it does not wish done, and give support to doing it. So you will save yourself much trouble of thinking. NOW YOU'RE BRAGGING.” May S the month in which you receive the June magazines, pay the April bills, arrange for your July v n, renew your March notes, buy your August stock, get back the ten-day you made in February, and order your December and January Joan September, coal, An Alphabet of Unnecessary People STROLOGERS. Beauty doctors. Chorus-men. Demonstrators of foods. Evangelists. Futurist painters. Gospel-hymn composers. Hoboes. Idiot: Joke writers. Kings. Labor agitators. Man milliners. Numismatists, Orators, Palmists. * Queens, Rag-time musicians, Statisticians. Tennis champions, Ukulele players. Vers-librists. Weather-map makers. X-presidents. Yellow journalists. Zoologists. Feed the Belgians! to us it is going to make a ES difference what people survive the war, We surely want the Belgians to sur- vive, and certainly it is to our profit that they should Then let us feed them! WHEN EVOLUTION HAS HAD TIME TO BE ASSISTED BY THE HIGH COST OF FOOD