Life, 1917-12-20 · page 15 of 40
Life — December 20, 1917 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1920 Life magazine cartoon depicts a caricatured figure using a broom to sweep away groups of people labeled as "enemy aliens." The figure appears to represent either the President or an immigration official enforcing post-WWI xenophobic policies. The accompanying "Formalities to Be Observed in 1920" text satirizes the absurdly invasive bureaucratic requirements imposed on foreigners seeking to purchase even five pounds of sugar—requiring detailed personal information, family histories, financial records, and notarized oaths about sugar use. The cartoon criticizes both the sweeping deportation/exclusion of foreign nationals after World War I and the intrusive, seemingly punitive regulatory framework targeting "enemy aliens," reflecting America's nativist sentiment during the Red Scare period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
¢€ ENEMY ALIENS MAKE A CLEAN SWEEP OF IT, MR Formalities to Be Observed in 1920 in Order to Be Allowed to Purchase "Five Pounds of Sugar occupation, color of eyes, | GIVE name, address, ¢ * height, size of shoe, number of pockets in vest, lo- cation of scars on body (if and favorit thor. 2. Give father's name, place of residence and occupa- tion, mother’s maiden name, age and color of hair, names sof maternal and paternal grandparents, causes of death, and religion and political leanings of all of them. 3. Give names of three citizens who will identify you, yearly salary since starting to work, amount of moncy in nk and average winnings at poker. 4. Find the square root of 82,064, compare the charac- ters of Napoleon Bonaparte and Robert G. Ingersoll, tell what you know of the Seminole War, and describe the Taj Mahal. 5. Write a short es why you want five pounds of sugar, why four pounds *wouldn’t be sufficient, how many spoonfuls of sugar you use in a cup of coffee, and amount of life insurance y of one hundred words, telling carried. 6. State name of your tailor, amount of money he charges for (a) s, (b) overcoats, (c) golf trousers, number of times per month you have your hair cut, and your golf handicap. 7. Do you prefer blondes or brunettes, how many times have you been married, have you ever written a play, and what do you think of Charlie Chaplin? 8. Is your digestion good? Do you smoke? Drink? Chew? Swear? How do you like your eggs cooked? Have you ever written for the movies? g. What is the name of your cook? Where did you get her? How long have you had her? Is her pastry good? How much do you pay her? Is she contented where she is? Would she leave if anyone offered her five dollars more per month? 10. Go before a notary public and swear (a) that you will use the sugar yourself, (b) that you will not use it in the manufacture of layer-cake, bread pudding, candied sweet potatoes, fudge, mint juleps or Italian zabaione, (c) that you won't tell anyone where you got it, and (d) that you won't ask for any more within thirty days. comicbooks.com °