Life, 1917-06-14 · page 10 of 38
Life — June 14, 1917 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine page satirizes diplomatic visits to Washington during WWI. The main illustration shows a man (likely a foreign dignitary) studying a globe while another figure peers in from a doorway—suggesting observation of political intrigue. The accompanying text discusses Mr. Balfour's visit to America, praising efficient wartime mobilization. It mentions various English and American visitors observing Congress and government departments, working toward war preparation. The cartoon's caption reads: "Peace: Learn your three 'R's' first—then come and talk to me!" This appears to mock diplomatic visitors who lack understanding of American readiness, suggesting they should educate themselves before negotiating. The satirical point: American confidence in its war capabilities exceeded foreign observers' assessments of national preparedness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1022 Forty Days of It M® BALFOUR is a polite man, and came here on an errand which could be better discharged by per- suasion than by scolding, and had his good will towards us increased by the warmth of his reception. Even if he had felt disposed, he would hardly have punctuated his leave-taking by finding fault with his hosts. Never- theless, it was reassuring to have him say late last month that for a country that had been in the war forty days, what these States had accomplished was “most remarkable.” For Mr. Balfour is a pretty good judge of what degree of expedition can be expected of a democracy that goes to war. All things considered, he thought our country had done a lot. He came to Washington, he said, with high hopes, and the reality far surpassed them. He was aware that some important things still waited on action by Congress, but he had lived, he said, with representative assemblies all his life, and knew that they did not make great and new departures in public policy at the mere waving of a wand. He was persuaded that Con- gress would not deny to the adminis- tration the necessary powers to carry on war successfully, and that when those powers were given they would be “used to the utmost, with as little delay as the imperfections of human in- stitutions and human beings allow.” Another Englishman, name withheld, apparently a member of the Balfour mission, wrote to the Providence Jour= nal his testimony to the impression made on him by what he had seen in three weeks in Washington. He spoke of the “thirty or forty business men drawn from every part of the United States” that he found there among the various departments, working their heads off to aid the government in its work of preparation, and towards the solution of problems of every charac- ter. Supplementing their work, he found not only the heads of govern- ment, but subordinates in every depart- ment anxious to do, unselfish in atti- tude, working together in a common cause for the good of the country. “It is a demonstration of intelligent loyalty,” he wrote, “ such as I believe your coun- Peace: LEARN YOUR THR try has never witnessed in its history.” There are some newspapers, and a good many individuals who write let- ters to them, who still maintain that whatever our present government does is wrong, but the better testimony does not support their view. These visitors above quoted have been sitting by the machine and feeling its pulse, and tim- ing its revolutions. They were quali- fied observers too, since they came from a country that had had to get up “R's” FIRST—THEN COME AND TALK To ME! war steam and had had its troubles about doing it. Discounting their dis- position to be polite, their testimony is still impressive as well as welcome. Everyone must feel what is in the air. Everyone must be touched at some point by the prevalent anxiety to do one's part. A mother says of her son: “He passed the examinations for his college degree in February and went to the Aviation School. He got (Continued on page 1047) comicbooks.com