Life, 1918-04-04 · page 27 of 40
Life — April 4, 1918 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the hypocrisy of wealthy bankers claiming patriotic sacrifice during wartime. "Bunderbay," president of the Nineteenth National Bank, is celebrated for working for the government at $1/year—supposedly giving up his "princely salary." The narrator exposes the con: these "high-class" men with "big brains" still live lavishly (ordering expensive oysters, filet, Nesselrode pudding). The joke is that Bunderbay hasn't actually sacrificed—he's still consuming luxuriously while ordinary citizens genuinely suffer. The cartoons mock both the bankers' performative patriotism and public gullibility in accepting it. The "Hoover Machine" cartoon (bottom) makes a separate joke about weight gain from excessive eating, likely referencing rationing or dietary concerns of the WWI era. This reflects post-WWI skepticism about whether the wealthy truly bore war's burdens fairly.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
rant f Careful! Careful! ABLETON wok me in to luncheon Bankers’ Club. We sat and discussed things in general. “That's Bunder! said Kableton in an awe-inspired whisper, as he indi- cated a tall, handsome man, seated at the next table with three others. ay the great Zverybody at uh “You don't mean to Bunderbay 1 asked. knew, of course, that, as president of the Nineteenth National Bank, Bunder- hay had made an international reputa- tion for himself. “Yes,” replied Kableton, “that's he. One of the big war martyrs, you know Think of it! Works for the ment for only one dollar a year: given up his princely salary—just chucked it for his country. Wonderful man!” “TL suppose when the war is over he wern= won't have a cent left.” 1 ventured, al- Phen most with a sob in my throat he will he a charge on the community. We ought to he thinking about that, old fellow.” T added * And here are all these other friends of yours—hankers, financiers, and so on, each one of them giving up his job and working for the government for nothing. Perhaps they all have families to support. We can't let them starve: they are not used to it, What are we going to do about them ton looked at me curiously for a moment. | imagine he thought I was getting too serious—that the war was LIFE'S HOOVER MACHINE WHEN GIRTH HAS EXPANDED THREE INCHES (SEE DOTTED LINE) ELECTRICAL CONTACT IS MADE, GONG RINGS AND PLATE 1S JERKED AWAY AUTOMATICALLY. 563 “IF THAT BOY TAKES ANOTHEX FEATHER I SHALL DIE OF SHAME” getting on my nerves. 1 saw, however, that he was affected. “And the worst of it is.” 1 went on, “it’s going to cost something. You see, Bunder! and his pals are high-class. men—big brains and all that sort of thing. Takes a lot to keep 'em going. For instance, just listen.” I lowered my voice, for the great Bunderbay was ordering his luncheon, He was saying to the waite “Seatag oysters, celery and olives, filet of sole with potatoes au gratin, spring lamb with green peas, romaine salad, Nesselrode pudding, crackers and cheese and coffe Kableton still eyed me, and. shook his head solemnly. Now I began to perceive that he was doing this in protest, and that he was possibly not in full agreement with my unconvine- ing remarks “Not so loud,” he whispered. * Your statements are extremely “unwise.” The great Bunderbay was looking our way. In spite of my. precaution, evidently my voice had reached him. He got up and came over “Tam sorry I heard something about myself,” he said coldly, “But I want to be fair. Perhaps you don't understand me. 1 am doing the best