Life, 1917-11-22 · page 28 of 44
Life — November 22, 1917 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces reflecting World War I-era American anxieties: **"The Power of Ignorance"** mocks the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge. A paleontologist who can recite anatomical details about babies proves useless when buying a baby carriage—his wife, despite knowing nothing scientifically, trusts her instincts over his expertise. The satire suggests that specialized education doesn't guarantee common sense. **"Simple Matter"** is a quick joke about wartime inefficiency: a character suggests building ships before organizing the Shipping Board—obvious logic satirizing bureaucratic backwards priorities during WWI mobilization. **"Presence"** is a patriotic war poem by Jennie Betts Hartswick describing a soldier's experience in trench warfare, invoking his mother as an emotional anchor. The right cartoon shows a German soldier sitting on a bench labeled "Fresh War Paint," captioned "So It Is"—likely commenting on Germany's militarism or recycled warfare tactics. These pieces reflect American WWI-era concerns about competence, military organization, and the soldier's experience.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
> LAER * The Power of Ignorance ‘O man is ever on intimate terms with a paleontologist, hut T once knew one as well as a paleontologist can be known. He was a married paleontologist—strange as that fact may seem—and his wife had presented him with a bab; One of the duties of a paleontologist is to know all about babies. Their metatarsals, their cervi vertebr: the prxsternum, coccygeal, and the supra-occipital—all these he knew, and a thousand things more. He knew a much about babies as a paleontologist can learn by study- ing the subject of the human frame-work and its history for twenty years. On the other hand, this being their first baby, his wife knew nothing about babies. And yet, singular as it may seem, when he volunteered, at the end of a week, to go and buy a baby carriage, she looked up with a smile and said “\Vhat, you buy a aby carriage! Why, I would just as soon intrust such an errand to Uncle } office boy! Poke Ml. “HOLD YOUR TONGUE, BOY, AND GIVE ME THE CLUBS AS 1 ASK FOR THEM” Simple Matter NICKER: Got a plan for saving time? Presence Bocker: Yes; why not build the MOTHER—mother of mine— ships first and organize the Shipping Board afterwards? What a wonderful mother you are! High in the midnight heaven Quivers a cool white star— I feel your hand on my forchead, I see the light of your smile— T am so sleepy, Mother— APTAIN: Are you familiar with trench warfar Recevit: Well, sir, I have ridden in New York subways for some years. I shall forget—for a while. Hark!— There the guns have awak- ened. Madly th Snarling their hungry impatience— Gluttonous lions of war. y stamp and roar— Seventy yards through the clamor, Under its curtain of fire, Wet with the mists of the morning, Glimmers the German wire. “Charge!” through the throbbing si- lence, After the crash and boom, Into the pallid daybreak— Over the edge of doom. Low on the far horizon Trembles a faint white star— O Mother—mother of mine— What a beautiful mother you are! Jennie Betts Hartswick, “so IT Iss” comicbooks!eom)