Life, 1917-05-03 · page 29 of 42
Life — May 3, 1917 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon ("Schnapps!")**: Depicts four men drinking around a table laden with bottles. The figure on the left appears intoxicated and emotional. This satirizes arguments for immediate American military intervention in World War I. The caption lists rhetorical questions advocating sending troops to France without delay—framed as self-evident "truths." The cartoon mocks this reasoning as drunken logic, suggesting those pushing for immediate intervention are either inebriated or speaking nonsense. **Text Section "Is It True"**: The article sarcastically presents arguments made by General Joffre (French military commander) for immediate American troop deployment, questioning whether waiting for proper military preparation at home is actually prudent democratic policy. **Bottom Cartoon**: Unrelated social humor about a man awkwardly explaining his visit to a woman to another man. **"Popular Hyphenates"**: Critiques Americans divided by regional or class loyalties ("Wall Street-Americans," "Jingo-Americans"), suggesting fragmented national identity during the pre-war period. The page reflects American debate over entering WWI.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Is It True— [AT if we send an army to France, we shall be doing more actual, practical good than in any other way? That if we wait before sending an army to France, until we have an army at home, we may wait until long after the war is over—and then some? That the principle upon which this republic and practically all democracies are run, is never to do anything until fatal circumstances force you into it? That the way to accomplish anything is to get a start made somewhere, and at once? That any army of ours, no matter how inexperienced upon landing, would learn more on the other side in one week about actual war, than if they re- mained behind here for a year? That General Joffre knows his busi- ness in advocating an immediate army for France? SCHNAPPS! That his practical judgment, based upon the most intimate knowledge of the situation, declares that our sending men is the best thing we can do? That we may send money, we may send food, but we won't really be in the war until we send our men? That the sooner one army goes the better the enlistment for the next? That every day we wait, in hopes that something will turn up, will be, later on, a lasting regret? Popular Hyphenates YPHENS may properly be used for something besides linking the names of two countries together in designating a man’s nationality. For instance, there are New England- Americans and Wall Street-Americans and Solid South-Americans and Jingo- Americans and many others. Binks: 1's NOTHING AT ALL, OLD CHAP—I'VE MERELY BEEN CALLING ON MISS EVVIWAITE, comicbooks.com