Life, 1917-08-16 · page 12 of 40
Life — August 16, 1917 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This illustration depicts a figure with an axe clearing tall trees in a forest, titled "Hewing Their Way Farther." The accompanying article discusses French sentiment regarding wealth distribution and property ownership. The text references Bill Haywood (I.W.W. leader) and compares French and Russian attitudes toward socialism and communism. It argues that French property owners—like Americans—view property ownership as defense "against communists." The cartoon likely represents the metaphorical "clearing of obstacles" or forward progress, possibly suggesting either the labor movement's advancement or, conversely, the clearing away of communist/socialist influence in France. The manual labor depicted may reference working-class struggle or the effort required to maintain capitalist property systems against socialist pressure.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
252 Through a Glass, Darkly RE the masses of the people going to do anything in the times that now impend that is materially differ- ent from what we are used to? When Bill Haywood of the 1. W. W. says: “We are all going to ride in automobiles, or none shall,” is that an important remark? Norman Hapgood says in a letter to the ng Post that Russian in- fluence in France “is shown in many ways, and in none more surely than in the desire among the common people fc more equitable distribution of wealth.” He quotes a Paris cabman who “had sworn an oath never again to go into the district of the dirty rich,” but did go, grumbling, with a fare. The expression, “les sales riches.” Mr. Hapgood says, is often heard now in the streets of Paris, where also children sing songs in French slang threatening the dirty rich with extinction, There seems to he a certain amount of sentiment in Fra inst well- to-do slackers who have been able to keep an from the front and avoid heing killed. How far that goes we cannot tell. H much material for a “terror” there is in France we can- not know, but though Russian influence may be strong there, the mass of the French is vastly more sophisticated, responsible and schooled in free gov- ernment than the mass of the Russians. And when the Germans have finished their present movement in Russia, and the consequences of undisciplined lib- re apparent, Russian influence in nce may not be so potent. Moreover, according to our ideas the distribution of wealth in France is al- ready pretty good. Huge fortunes and incomes such as are fairly common here are almost unknown there. A good many people there have had enough to live on without work, but the very rich are few. A large proportion of the French people have lands and other property. So have a large proportion of the Americans. Property owners believe in property, and are its defense against communists. I. W. W.’s in this country are a small body, even when their fringe is included. Farmers SSPE HEWING THEIR WAY FATHER