Life, 1917-11-15 · page 24 of 40
Life — November 15, 1917 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains WWI-era American satire mocking both enemies and allies. The "New Books" section ridicules German and Austro-Hungarian leaders by imagining they'll write memoirs *after losing the war*—works like "Marching Through Germany" (attributed to British General Haig) and "My Life at St. Helena" (comparing Kaiser Wilhelm II to Napoleon's exile). American figures are also satirized: William Randolph Hearst's "Camouflage" mocks his pro-German sympathies; La Follette's inclusion suggests suspicion of his pacifist stance. The "Recipe for Freedom" cartoon prescribes democracy for Germany through free press and speech, suggesting Germany lacks these. The wheat-harvesting joke targets wartime profiteering—machines that increase efficiency while raising prices. The final exchanges mock shallow political engagement: citizens claim to believe in democracy while admitting people don't govern themselves well; regional boasting replaces substance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
New Books To Be Published in 1918 “AAARCHING THROUGH GER- MANY,” by General Haig. “Impressions of Berlin,” by General Pershing. “Camouflage,” by William Randolph Hearst. “The Seventh German City,” by William Hale Thompson (former mayor of Chicago). “Deutschland Uber Alles,” by Robert La Follette (former United States Senator). “How It Feels to Be President,” by Senor Alfonso (former King of Spain). “Thrown froma Throne,” by Charles Hapsburg (former Emperor of Aus- tria). “My Life at St. Helena,” by Wil- helm Hohenzollern (former Emperor of Germany). “ Belgium Restored,” by King Albert. It Seems So “TSN’T it wonderful how these har- vesting machines cut the wheat and tie it into bundles?” “Oh, I don’t know. I hear they have a machine now that cuts the wheat, threshes it, grinds it into flour and raises the price, all in one operation.” STANDARDS TOO HIGH FOR HIM A Recipe for Freedom 'O one mass of German people add a free press and free specch, sea- soned plentifully with common. sense and spiced profusely with sound think- ing. Bake for four years in the fires of a war kindled by autocracy for its residue of freely with own ends, Extract the Kaiserism and garnish Republicanism, then serve. ITIZEN: You believe in govern- ment by the people. StatesMAN: Yes, I do, but the peo- ple don't. Californian: You OUGHT TO VISIT CALIFORNIA, IT HAS THE MOST WONDERFUL SCENERY IN THE WORLD. New Yorker: rorcet it! 1 cu SS YOU AIN'T BEEN TO THE HIPPODROME