Life, 1918-03-07 · page 5 of 40
Life — March 7, 1918 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertising**, not satire or political cartoon. The Timken-Detroit Axle Company has placed a full-page advertisement titled "Investment in Motor Transport is a Patriotic Duty." The ad uses **World War I–era messaging** to encourage truck ownership and road development as contributions to the war effort. The imagery shows an industrial port facility with trucks and rail infrastructure. The accompanying text argues that truck transport: - Relieves railroad congestion - Saves time for military operations "over there" (Europe) - Represents patriotic investment The **soldier illustration** (lower left) reinforces the patriotic appeal. This reflects how American businesses marketed commercial products through nationalist wartime rhetoric during WWI.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Investment in Motor Transport is a Patriotic Duty Every truck that moves goods to buyer or consignee from factory, store or warehouse does a big part in relieving rail traffic and clearing terminals. Every additional ton that is delivered direct cuts out rehandling at least twice — and frequently more often. Every movement of product or material by highway means a faster move- ment of goods by rail to tidewater for shipment over seas. Every hour of time saved in domestic business means another hour gained for defensive or offensive operation “‘over there.” Furthermore— The maintenance of do- mestic business by manufacturer, jobber and dealer means conservation of the great industrial forces on which we must depend to finance and carry to a successful conclu- sion the task which the world expects America to discharge in a manner worthy of her traditions. This is a big war and the most potent factor in winning it is big volume business. The third largest industry in the United States is engaged almost entirely in building motor trucks. But it is producing and, if each one of us does his patriotic duty, it should produce a still greater number of trucks for home use. Put your trucks at work full time. If you haven't a truck, get one, for the more trucks that are put at work the faster the improvement of national highways will follow. It is a good thing to encourage this move- ment by word — it is much better to invest money in it. The man who puts his dollars into more trucks and better roads is the one whose patriotism counts. And he makes no gift, no financial sacri- fice; for motor transport has demonstrated that it is profitable over the long haul as well as the short one. The facts have been given publicity in many newspapers, popular magazines and trade publications. No business man need hesitate to accept motor transport as practi- cal. It has been in actual operation in scores of cases in spite of the road conditions of the - worst winter in many years. Look into the possibilities of motor trans- port in your own business — now — and join the nation-wide movement for more trucks and better roads. THE TIMKEN-DETROIT AXLE COMPANY Detroit, Michigan comicbooks.com