Life, 1917-05-31 · page 38 of 38
Life — May 31, 1917 — page 38: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertisements** interspersed with two opinion pieces. The main satirical content appears in the article **"Convicts and Prussian Uniforms."** Written by K.L. Roberts, it's a **World War I-era proposal** suggesting that Westchester County convicts wear German military uniforms as punishment. The satire works by suggesting increasingly absurd costume assignments: ordinary criminals wear German private uniforms, more serious offenders wear Prussian officer uniforms, and the worst criminals wear uniforms of German generals and submarine commanders. The **joke is bitter and political**: by dressing American convicts in German uniforms, the author suggests this would simultaneously shame the criminals *and* remind Americans of German militarism as a foreign threat—a common rhetorical strategy when America was engaged with Germany in WWI. The remaining content is standard early-20th-century advertising for rope, hammocks, goggles, and hotels. One article discusses animal testing ethics, unrelated to satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Towline With Hooks That Hold Autowline is equipped with Snafie Hooks that can’t come loose. Once Autowline. one of the reasons why the; attached. Being patented, they're found only on Basline nat Basline Autowline is the ideal automobile towline, It stays on till the job is done! Besides—Basline Autowline is made of world-famous Yellow Strand Wire Rope. _ It’s strong as a hawset Out of the way when you don't need it; easy to attach when you ¢ always “delivers the goods. et it weighs, complete, less than fve pounds jo; and no telling how soon you'll need a Basline Autowline. Get one right east of Rockies, $4.55. weastern AvTowtoc protects your car and spare tires from auto thieves cay east of Rockies, Buy from your Accessory Dealer. Literature on request BRODERICK & BASCOM ROPE CO. Manufacturers of celebrated Yello Louis—New York trand Wire Rope ‘Whenever good cables are needed, specify B. & B. Wire Ropes Convicts and Prussian Uniforms TCHE County convicts, who have hitherto been garbed in khaki, are now forced to wear uni- forms of the same color as those worn by the German army. Unconsciously the Westchester County officials have stumbled on a method by which a con- viet may be made ashamed of his crime, and at the same time they have found means whereby the nation at large, in after years, may be continually re- minded of the menace which lies be- yond the Rhine. For example, ordi- nary criminals, who are serving sen- tences of from one to five years, might he dressed in the uniforms of German THE ORIGINAL—GENUINE ROWE?’S GLOUCESTER BED HAMMOCK Sent charges prepaid in the U, S. The Rowe represents all-quality construction—b us toan ideal and not down to a price. E. L. ROWE & SON, Inc. Maters of Touts und Hammocts for the Cs 8. Ge 3 Water Street That is why the Rowe has been standard in bed hammocks for thirty years and used exclusively at select summer resorts, ibs, camps and by people who know valves and de: Gloweester, Macs: 7] | privates. More hardened criminals, who are behind the bars for periods ranging from five to ten years, may be forced to wear the uniforms of Prus- sian non-commissioned officers, lieu- tenants and captains, depending on the seriousness of the crimes which they are expiating. Desperate characters, who are undergoing sentences ranging from ten to twenty years for very s ous offenses, can be clothed in the uni- forms of Prussian submarine com- manders, Zeppelin pilots, rear-admirals, majors, brigade commanders and simi- lar high military officials, The most vicious and hardened criminals, serv- ing life sentences for murder, can be marked by the uniforms of German military governors, members of the Prussian general staff and princes of the blood. When convicts are pun- ished, they can be forced to wear Iron Crosses of various classes, or the Or- der of the Black Eagle, instead of be- ing placed in solitary confinement. After this war is over, the Prussian uniform is going to be as great a dis- grace as any uniform that convicts have ever worn K. L. Roberts. The Same Old Fact The fact is, then, that all the experi- ments on living animals, of which Lord Lister boasted in the old unpublished letter which his contemporary, Dr. Keen, has lavishly paraded in the Philadelphia Ledger as a convincing defense of vivi- section, were utterly futile, as well as immoral, sclf-secking cruelty, wantonly perpetrated on harmless creatures, with- out any benefit to humanity, but, like ninety-nine per cent. of all such research, simply for publicity and the magnifica- tion of the vivisector—Living Tissue. ‘PETER J. CAREY, PRINTER THE RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL MOUSE TTICHUS II, the last Pole of the Psattich dynasty, was on of the most prudent and far-sccing of that line of monarchs. He never failed to leave with his newsdealer a stand- ing order for his weekly copy of Lire Patented May tnd, 1911 ‘The Only Comfortable Goggle—The Only Efficient Eye Protector The hinged center permits it to exactly fit the contour of the face so as to exclude wind, dust and flying particles. bag bis a womceeapncstogd supply and epon- ing goods houses, or we will refer you to your nearest dealer F. A. Hardy & Co., Box 804, Chicago, Dept.A HOTEL ASPINWALL LENOX, MASS. High and Cool in the Berkshires A HOTEL OF DISTINCTION Opens June 16 Elevation 1400 bret HOWE & TWOROGER, Managers Winter Resort, PRINCESS MOTE! A SMALL HORSE NAIL which does the work is much to be preferred “The Capewell’* nail with half again the tensile strength of aay other nail can be safely used in the smaller sizes. A aretha es bak ie hee: mis! ‘ove Not the cheapest nai ardiess of quality bat the best in the world at afar rie. cr a TRAD: Be sure that your shoer uses “The Capewell.’’ Made in all sizes. comicbooks.com