Life, 1918-01-17 · page 10 of 40
Life — January 17, 1918 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: 1. **"Note on the Natural History of Airplanes"** (Arthur Guiterman poem): A humorous mock-scientific treatment of airplanes as creatures, with jokes about their behavior and habits. 2. **"The Care of Liberty Bonds"**: A serious article about financial stewardship of Liberty Bonds (war bonds sold to civilians during WWI), proposing that savings banks manage them for small holders. 3. **Bottom cartoon**: Titled "Charley Spender and His Family," depicting a family discussing coal conservation. The caption notes they're "cheerfully doing their bit towards saving that fifty million tons of coal"—satirizing wartime rationing efforts and domestic sacrifice campaigns during WWI, showing the contrast between official exhortation and household reality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
90 Note on the Natural History of Airplanes HE Airplane swoops from crags of cloud To prey upon the Submarine ; Its hum is rather rough and loud ; Its only drink is gasoline Some Airplanes wouldn't’ heave a brick, But ride the blue on placid wings, While others have a horrid trick Of dropping nasty bombs and things While one prefers to navigate, Wit® dignity, the azure vault, Another cuts a figure cight Or throws a festive somersautt They never flap their wings and crow; And sober Airplanes quit the height Of heaven when the sun is low To sleep in hangars over night. Young bachelor Airplanes love to roam The Great White Way that spans the sky; But lady Airplanes stay at home And teach young Airplanes how to fy. Arthur Guiterman. The Care of Liberty Bonds NTION was made in Lire of December 27th of the need of pro- vision for safe-keeping of Liberty Bonds for small holders not used to the care of securities. According to a pamphlet sent us by Mr. Maurice Léon, it is proposed that this important duty shall he under- taken by the savings hanks and postal savings hanks of the country, which already have the machinery to do it, and could discharge it with the mini- mum of labor and expense. It is pro- posed that these banks shall receive and care for the bonds, and cash the coupons as they become due, and credit proceeds to customers’ runts, just as interest on deposits is now credited In this way the bonds would become, as they should, part of the national apparatus for saving Household Finance UBBY: What will we have for dinner to-morrow? Wirey: I'm not quite sure. But T have an option on a piece of steak. LIEUTENANT PLY, ON PURLOUGH, FORGETS HE ISN'T DRIVING HIS AIRPLANE According to Rule A Young Financier LER: Why did you reject that “YY/HAT happens when the lion and ton of coal? Customer: Underweight. the lamb lie down together?” “T suppose there is a merger.” CHARLEY SPENDER AND HIS FAMILY ARE CHEERFULLY DOING THEIR BIT TOWARDS SAVING THAT FIFTY MILLION TONS OF COAL DA MNAS SASS TERNS EASE PEO R ETE ee eR ee