Life, 1918-03-21 · page 39 of 56
Life — March 21, 1918 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"War Sensations Come Croppers"** discusses how American periodicals have failed to publish sensational wartime stories. The piece critiques censorship and government interference—noting that *World's Work* withdrew German-spy articles and the *New York Times* denied *Collier's* account of military operations. The author argues that true war history must wait until peace, as wartime "searchlight" scrutiny prevents accurate reporting. The cartoon caption (partially visible) appears cynical about Belgium's restoration, suggesting post-war reckoning. **"Atavism"** is a morality fable suggesting heredity or ancestral "sins" determine character. Two "Perfectly Good" people produce a "Perfectly Bad" child, while "Perfectly Bad" parents produce a "Perfectly Good" child. When these children meet and marry, they attribute their incompatible nature to inherited traits—a satirical critique of determinism or fatalism about moral character. **"Red Tape"** satirizes bureaucratic systems where officials protect themselves by avoiding responsibility, spinning endless procedural "tape" like spiders. The author notes governments require but are ultimately hampered by it.
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War Sensations Come Croppers PECIAL war sensations have not been very much prospered in the periodicals. For reasons unknown and not readily surmised, the World's Work has withdrawn the series of German-spy articles that had been begun by Editor Rathom of the Providence Journal, and the Times has printed (March 1st) an elaborate four-column denial in detail of Collier's story that government in- terference had checked and spoiled Nivelle’s great offensive of last year. The true story of the British reverse at Cambrai has not been set forth yet in convincing detail. Judging from the word-of-mouth stories that one gets about it ought to tempt the enter- prise of some weekly or monthly con- temporary, but it hangs fire. A great part of the true history of the war will have to wait till the war is finished, and will be lucky if it sees the light even then. To write the truth about what happens in peace-time is hard enough, but in war-time it is much harder. Too much searchlight inter- feres with the war job. Even cam- paigns that are past cannot be gone into to the bottom. There is always OT RESTORING BELGIUM MAKES ME S| AIN'T VE HAD OUR USE OUT OF IT? VnYy NOT endless dispute over such matters, and the witness that should be cited can- not be called till the war is over, if ever. War-histories are dug out of records and post-bellum voluntary statements largely in diaries, memoirs and recol- lections. Atavism PERFECTLY Good woman was walking along one day, when she met a Perfectly Good man. There being no one else in sight, and propinquity being the first law of nature, said the Perfectly Good man: “Let us marry.” So, not knowing whet they did, they married, and had a Perfectly Bad child. He was a perfectly terrible child. There wasn’t anything that child didn’t do. Now at the time this happened, a Perfectly Bad man met a Perfectly Bad woman. And they also had a child. And she was a Perfectly Good child. And these two children grew up and met. Then said the Perfectly Bad man to the Perfectly Good woman: “Will you marry me?” 479 “T will,’ said the Perfectly Good woman, “But I wonder why. 1 can't seem to help it.” “I'm in the same fix,” said the Per- fectly Bad man. “ But, my dear, it isn’t our fault. We are suffering for the sins of our parents.” R. T. ED TAPE is a curious product. Each man in a system of govern- ment, being dependent for his job upon someone else, is concerned principally that nobody shall put anything over on him. He therefore safeguards himself by never assuming any more responsi- bility than he can help. Hence Tape. Workers in a government system are like a lot of spiders, each spinning his quota of Red Tape. No government is complete without it. Yet with it all governments are in- complete. Red A LITTLE GAME OF HEARTS