Life, 1917-06-14 · page 7 of 38
Life — June 14, 1917 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon shows a person spelling "LIFE" using four large letters/barrels, with a sea creature emerging from water. The caption "Well, that's done" suggests completing or launching something—likely a satirical reference to the magazine itself or a wartime production effort. The lower section, titled "Maxim Gunlets," presents cynical aphorisms about war, patriotism, and social behavior (attributed to Carolyn Wells). These mock jingoistic slogans and expose hypocrisy—for example, "Pacifists never hear any good of themselves" and "Money makes the war go." The illustration below shows an anxious couple surrounded by numerous children, captioned "Sh! Sh! Spies—one million of 'em!" This satirizes wartime paranoia about enemy spies while also commenting on domestic concerns about population and child-rearing during conflict.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Maxim Gunlets MAN is known by the company he joins. Enlistment will happen in the best regulated families. A patriot and his money are soon parted. One touch of kultur makes the whole world fight. Money makes the war go. A new bomb sweeps clean, Pacifists never hear any good of themselves. The more waste the less feed. Take care of the flag and the war will take care of itself. The proof of the fighting is the re- treating. Too many crooks spoil the war. German communications corrupt good manners. He who runs and fights a way, May live to fight another day. He strafes best who strafes last. Never put off till to-morrow what you can’t fire to-night. Conscience makes patriots of us all. Ye cannot serve war and mamma. Where there’s a war there’s a way. Never look a gift gun in the mouth. Carolyn Wells. Unused to It 'M trying to mobilize all the women, in my town and teach them how to do something really practical.” “That ought to be easy.” “But you must remember that they are nearly all members of the woman's club.” “WELL, THAT'S DONE” SH! SH! SPIES—ONE MILLION oF 'EM! comicbooks.com