Life, 1917-11-29 · page 12 of 40
Life — November 29, 1917 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main illustration depicts soldiers in a trench camp during WWI, captioned "AUNT PRUELLA'S IDEA OF THE GERMAN ARMY RETIRING BEFORE THE ALLIES." The accompanying dialogue is a satirical debate among women about whether soldiers should smoke tobacco. The characters argue that smoking is a filthy habit, yet paradoxically acknowledge that doctors smoke and soldiers find it comforting. The satire ridicules women's temperance activism and moralizing about soldiers' habits while simultaneously recognizing the practical reality that soldiers want and need cigarettes. The cartoon mocks the disconnect between reform-minded civilians' ideals and battlefield realities—suggesting that demanding soldiers abandon smoking is both unrealistic and insulting to their needs.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
868 she replied that she would like to get just one crack at the Kaiser with a rolling-pin. Mrs. Broun (coldly): How perfect- ly low and absurd! Everybody knows that the tobacco habit is filthy and in- jurious, It is simply sickening ¢o think of our thousands of young men being deliberately encouraged to stunt their growth and stain their fingers with the filthy weed, and to think of them stand- ing in nice, clean trenches and spitting tobacco juice right where someone may have to walk in a short time! Pah! Mrs. Sauytne: But if it’s such a nasty, filthy habit and so injurious to the health, why is it that so many of our very best doctors and surgeons smoke cigars and cigarettes? And it can’t be very bad for the spirit if Gen- eral Grant smoked all the time, and Mark Twain, and so many others. Mrs. Greexe (pouring herself an- other cup of tea): Why, Abigail Smythe! I never heard such talk! rybody knows that smoking is simply vile in every way! Our society stands for temperance; and we would be false to our trust if we didn’t do everything within our power to put an end to such a reprehensible habit. Mrs. Smytue (placing her teacup on the table with a bang): But, Mary, at least ninety per cent. of the men in our army are smokers! All they ask for when they write home is cigarettes, They say that cigarettes rest their nerves and enable them to put up with many discomforts. How would you feel if some strange man should refuse to let you have any tea, and should say that tea-drinking was a nasty, filthy habit, ruinous to the health and spirit? Mrs. Broun (excitedly dropping an- other lump of sugar in her tea): Good heavens, Abigail! How dare you inti- mate that tea-drinking is an injurious habit? Do you wish to insult us? Mrs. Gre (haughtily) : Explain Abigail! But it is unhealth- carried to excess! People have gone crazy from constant drinking of tea that was allowed to steep for days and days on the back of the stove! Ask any doctor! Mrs. Greene (very distantly) : T con- sider your opinions radical, unjust and insulting! Beli AUNT PRUDELLA’S IDEA OF THE GERMAN ARMY RETIRING BEFORE THE ALLIES Mrs. Saytue (hopelessly): Well, I'm afraid that I must be running along. I knew it wouldn't do any good to say anything! (Exit Mrs. SMytHEe) Mrs. Gri Well, of all things! She must be demented! We must hurry around and get enough votes so that we will be officially able to con- demn the sending of tobacco to our army. It would be terrible for a Tem- perance Union not to be able to regi: ter its disapproval of such a vile habit. Just one more cup of tea, my dear? Mrs. Broun (willingly): Just one more, my dear. Thanks so much! You mustn’t worry about the vote on tobacco. Everyone will vote with us. Who cares what the soldiers want, anyway? We have our reputation to sustain! (Narrow, dark curtain.) Kenneth L. Roberts. The Country Would Be Safe IRST BOARDER: It would be rather unfortunate if anything hap- pened to Hoover just now, wouldn’t it? Srconp Boarver: Oh, I don't know. I have an idea that our landlady could fill his place and give him cards and spades. Dinner in the Trenches IRST SOLDIER: Hear that shell whistling! Seconp Sorpier: your meals! Yes, music with comicbookSrem