Life, 1917-07-12 · page 14 of 40
Life — July 12, 1917 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents "A Marching Song for America," a patriotic poem that won Life's $500 wartime poetry competition. The winning author is Edith Willis Linn of Glenora, New York. The cartoon below, titled "After the War," depicts anthropomorphic animals (appearing to be dogs or similar creatures) seated at a dinner table with human children, while two larger animal figures stand as servers. The caption reads: "OH, MAMMA! CAN'T WE GIVE HIM SOME OF OUR DINNER?" This satirizes post-war food scarcity and rationing. The joke inverts normal hierarchy—animals are now served alongside humans—suggesting wartime deprivation is so severe that even pets compete for scarce food resources. The children's innocent request highlights the hardship American families faced during or after the conflict.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘LIFE: A Marching Song for America pees the mountains, wreathed and hoary, From the river and the plain, From the seaboard and the valley, We are marching forth again. We are coming, we are coming, As the pilgrims came of yore We will rally ‘round Old Glory As our fathers did before. Ve are marching, marching, With no malice in our bosom, With no hate, no dreams of greed, Where the stricken millions beckon, Where the maimed and_ starving bleed, We are marching, marching, marching— We are marching, marching, march- marching, Millions marching — to the ing, In answer to the call call In answer to the call Of justice for the nations And liberty for all. Of justice for the nations And liberty for all. Of justice for the nations And liberty for all. Note: These words are protected by Live's copyright, cnd may not be reprinted or republished The Winner of the $500 Competition HE above verse has been awarded the prize of five hundred dollars offered by Lire for the best poem uitable for use as a war song. The author and winner of the prize is Epimit Witus Lixx, Glenora, N. Y. The four thousand six hundred and one manuscripts sub- mitted in the contest received a careful first reading to climinate those which were manifestly unsuitable, This resulted in winnowing out all but two hundred manuscripts, which were hy further reading and comparison reduced to thout consent first obtained from Life Publishing Company. These were fourteen for final consideration by the judges given a most faithful examination, with the result that “A Marching Song for America” was decided to have complied most nearly with the conditions laid down for the competition. Later on we expect to print some of the other songs to give our readers opportunity for comparison Lire would naturally Le glad to have the words inspire some American musician to compose a musical setting which would stir the enthusiasm of the whole people. We must, however, retain some control of such efforts, and call the attention of composers and publishers to the above notice in italics. AFTER THE WAR Chorus: O44, MAMMA! CAN'T WE GIVE HIM SOME OF OUR DINNER? comicbook