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Life, 1917-07-26 · page 37 of 40

Life — July 26, 1917 — page 37: what you’re looking at

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Life — July 26, 1917 — page 37: Life, 1917-07-26

What you’re looking at

This page combines satirical editorial content with a WWI-era fundraising advertisement. **The Editorial Satire (left side):** "Returned and Credited" mocks women's shopping habits, arguing that department store returns waste enormous resources (transportation, labor, goods). The author criticizes women for impulsive purchases based on superficial attraction rather than actual need, suggesting they lack planning skills. A small cartoon illustrates the point with a couple—the husband has stepped on a tack, which the wife only notices because she's preoccupied. This reinforces the stereotype of careless, inattentive femininity. **The Advertisement (right side):** Promotes subscriptions to McClure's Magazine as a fundraiser for the American Ambulance Service in France (WWI relief work). The pitch claims subscribers pay nothing extra—McClure's covers the cost by redirecting publisher profits to the ambulance fund. Readers receive a bound edition of President Wilson's War Message as incentive. The juxtaposition is notable: a page criticizing women's frivolousness directly precedes an appeal to patriotic generosity, likely targeting those same magazine readers.

📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

said iled } to aT Returned and Credited AS any statistician ever calculated the loss of energy to this country expended on articles sent out by de- partment stores and returned to be credited ? In New York alone thousands and thousands of these articles are di- rected merely by the chance whim of women, whose eyes are attracted by them, to be sent to a destination miles off. Each woman, when she receives her package, tears it open with a sup- pressed emotional and critical burst of enthusiasm. If the article does not happen to suit her, as it often does not, it is then ordered to be returned. Engaged in these, what we might call “negative results,” are countless horses and wagons, automobiles, drivers, clerks, accountants, —sales- women, ete. We are accustomed to feel that busi- ness is founded upon orderly proceed- ings and methodical calculations. As a matter of fact, it is nothing of the sort. It is founded upon the glance of careless women, upon the glint of color, a certain arrangement of form, upon the fickleness of femininity, and the mere trick of gesture. If a training-school for women were te be started, in which only one thing were taught, namely, making a plan beforehand as to just what you need and sticking to it, the time and moncy saved—well, we hesitate to say how much it would be. “HE may live without hope, is hope but deceiving? He may live without love—what is passion but pining?” But where is the man % happily unless he is a seriber to Lire? what ho can liv gular sub- DAMMIT! I STEPPED ON A I's GOOD YOU NOTICED IT AT MY DEAR. ONcE, | a E = in FRANCE. AR ae We Pay the Money—You Send the Coupon Will you help the American Ambulance men’s work in France if it costs you nothing—if what you do is done at a profit to yourself? Night after night, throughout the lone war. in every patriotic home. It is a memento that bol theee devoted ambulance men risk their lives to more valuable every year. frome ounded soldiers. They will rescue from the Battle-fielde those of our own brave soldiers who Our Free Send ve the attached coupon— are wounded fo Freace. without money: we will enter your Offer subscription to McClure’s at our McClure's Magazine wants to doite part to help the regular price of $1.50 and bill you work ofthe American Ambolance. | We feel within 90 days for that amount. (Or we will enter your subscription for two yeareat our special price of $2.00 for the two years, which eaves you $1.00 on our regular price.) We. in our turn, will send you this dainty little volume containing President Wilson's War Message. The President’s | Fr CC War Message | E DAINTILY BOUND Ambulance in France, yet saves you money. Two leading publishers have combined to publish and distribute an artistic cloth-bound edition of the President's War Message. All the profits derived from the eale of it are turned over by these publishers to the American Field Ambulance Service; and— McClure’s will buy these books and pre- Your name on the attached coupon repre- ‘sents an actual contribution to this worth: f book TTT SUITS sa STILT De MLD money we pay for these book: rectly intothis American Ambul In The President's War Message. bound in this handsome manner, you get a book you will be proud to add to your library. It has taken front rank among the papers of history. It is the voice of Freedom. speaking in terms of the Twentieth Century. It has welded America together. In ite bound form it should be Use This Coupon—the Book is [ [Ber essen (| estasuartraries esc Of yee desire to pay casd, send with couree | Neme__ Address McCLURE’S MAGAZINE McClure Building New York City es ES alate 3 i U0CHE—CMCt(" comicbooks.com