Life, 1917-09-20 · page 12 of 40
Life — September 20, 1917 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several satirical pieces critiquing World War I conduct and propaganda: **"The German Hall of Fame"** mockingly lists German military "achievements"—first soldier in Belgium, the Lusitania sinking, bombing hospitals, poisoning wells, using poison gas—presented as if these were honorable accomplishments. The satire inverts values, treating war crimes as glory. **"The Entanglement"** (illustration) appears to depict tangled military/naval conflict, likely referencing the Western Front's stalemate. **"A Worse Thing Than Slavery"** criticizes German official language policy, arguing that imposing German on conquered populations is cultural enslavement. **"Taking No Chances"** jokes about pacifists using whisk-brooms instead of military brushes, sarcastically suggesting military strength determines God's favor in war. All pieces reflect American pro-Allied WWI sentiment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The German Hall of Fame M The sailor who torpedoed the Lusitania. The first soldier that entered Belgium. The gunner who fired the first shot at a cathedral. The first airman to drop bombs on a hospital. The wise man who first expounded kultur. The genius who originated the idea of poisoning wells. The inventor who perfected liquid fire. The first trooper to release poison gas. Gott. Threadbare HE reader threw down his magazine in disgust. “T wish the authors would get together and invent a new plot,” he growled. “The one they’ve been using for the past year has grown stale.” THE ENTANGLEMENT A Worse Thing Than Slavery It makes slaves of Germans in the United States to have English the official language of the country.—The Cologne Volks-zeitung, HE Cologne Volks-ceitung may be correct:* the chains of slavery are not always visible to the naked eye. But from the attitude of the certain members of the German Lutheran Church and the German backers of the I. W. W,, it appears that there are still a few Germans whose freedom isn’t wholly paralyzed. Anyway, it’s hetter to have English the official language of the United States and make slaves out of the Germans than it would be to have German the official language and make Prussians out of them and slaves out of the rest of us. jerman press, Taking No Chances “] JUST heard that Cheesy is a pacifist still.” He “T should say he is. WI that man won't even use military brushes smoothes down his hair with a whisk-broom.” I this conflict God will be on the side of the army having the most airplanes, NO MAN’S LAND Revised Classics a SAIL!” As Robinson Crusoe spoke, he turned blithely to his man. Friday. Sure enough, steaming toward them a fine looking combination wooden and steel ship. “We are saved at last “Come, get out my suit-case.” Even as he spoke, the ship anchored and the chief officer stood before them. “Gentlemen,” he said briefly, “are Not that I wish to hurry you. The fact is,” he went on, “IT have absolutely nothing to do, That ship built for the American merchant marine; and now that we have her built, we don't know what to do with her, wa aid Robin- son, you ready? So I am just eruising about, hop- ing to pick up a stray passenger. Will let you have a first cabin all the way from ten dollars up. We will say ten dollars no: id when I get you on board I'll charge you six hundred.” “But,” exclaimed Robinson Crusoe, Jo not, I beg of you, think that Iam entirely in the dark. Yon ship was. huilt to help out the Allies in the Euro- pean war, was she not?” She was; and she has just been finished.” hen why don't you use her for that purpose?” A light smile played on the face of the chief officer. “My dear Robinson,” he replied, “T hate to put you wrong, but you know that) war now nearly sixteen years. as been over