Life, 1917-10-25 · page 21 of 44
Life — October 25, 1917 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
## The Cartoon: "Good Hunting!" The illustration shows a soldier in military uniform pointing a rifle, while a ghostly or skeletal figure appears to represent Death or a casualty of war. The caption "Good Hunting!" presents dark irony—a hunting metaphor applied to warfare. ## The Context This appears to be WWI-era content (references to fighting in Flanders, U-boat bases on Belgian coast, and General Winter suggest 1914-1917). The cartoon sardonically equates combat to sport hunting, mocking the romanticization of warfare. ## The Article The main text discusses Columbia University's firing of professors Cattell and Dana for their political views, and the resignation of Professor Beard in protest. Life uses this controversy as a metaphor: just as warring nations must eventually "get along together," so must universities with conflicting viewpoints coexist. The piece argues about academic freedom versus institutional control of faculty speech—a debate that mirrors broader societal conflict. The astrology reference dismisses predictions about war's end, suggesting fighting will continue "briskly."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
gut in rgani- scame cussed nplete rand lo to | pro- sters, vigor New ave a I. It ; last Allies | the 1 be- y his n of Mr, nak ause tted. onal nin oun- n be 1 of lose nis- Chi- mp- © vow If ure im- Pon ble, om din rat nt at rd “GOOD HUNTING!” FOR THE REAL AMERICAN vites a neutral attitude in outsiders. The combatants now engaged ought to be able to settle it in due time to the advantage of learning and the uni- versity. here is not much mourning among moderate-minded people over the dis- charge of Cattell and Dana. The most prevalent feeling is that they are po- litical freaks and makers of mischief, and that their separation from the job of training the young idea was fully warranted at this time. Along with this feeling goes the impression that the long service of Dr. Cattell entitled him to a retirement allowance, and that neither he nor Mr. Dana should have heen punished for their opinions by sudden stoppage of their pay. But the big bomb in the engagement so far is the resignation of Professor Beard, who is rated very high in his calling. His action makes a clearer issue. It brings to the court of public opinion the question how far the presi- dent and trustees of a university shall determine what the professors may teach. One side in the resulting con- troversy seems to feel that it is the business of the faculty of a university to determine, each member for himself, what is truth, and to teach it. The 669 other side maintains that it is the duty of the trustees, who control the uni- versity’s means of support, to see to it that members of the faculty do not assail too violently the established or- der of which all universities are a part. The world in general is in the same fix as Columbia. It is filled with peo- ple of antagonistic views who have to get along together or else fight. At present they are fighting, but when they get through they will all have to come back to the job of getting along to- gether. So the Columbia fighters will have to do in the end, -D MOORE, the reliable London astrologer, who said some months ago that the fighting of the war would he over by the middle of October, does not seem to be a winner on that guess. He also said that peace would be signed in February, and on that he still has a chance to make good, but mid- October is nast, and the fighting is still brisk, especially in Flanders. Our British brethren and Allies are very bonny fighters nowadays, and seem easily able to do the Germans up whenever the going is not so bad as to make them inaccessible. Mud may check their movement to cut the rail- road lines that supply the U-boat bases on the Belgian coast, but the Germans seem unable to do it, and if the mud relents there may any day be impor- tant military news in the papers, and a great military accomplishment before winter. It is not good form to say that the war scems to be hastening to its finish, but most of what we read favors that conclusion. All the same, nobody but the reliable astrologers are ready, as yet, to say how long the finish may lag. The lack of necessaries—coal, food, shoes, clothing—is very pressing in Zurope now, and coal is an agitating topic even here. Cold can kill as well as powder, and General Winter may take hold to end the war. comicbooks.com