Life — April 25, 1918 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two satirical cartoons about press freedom and editorial criticism. The **top cartoon** depicts officials touring a prison, explaining they house "editors who have criticized the administration." The joke is darkly ironic: one official notes the imprisoned editors seem content because they can see German prisoners playing tennis outside—suggesting that even censored, imprisoned critics have better conditions than some foreigners. The **bottom cartoon**, titled "The Bank of Life," shows a bank teller window where different character types (labeled with occupations like "Clothing" and "Loans") are displayed as if depositing or withdrawing from life itself—a metaphorical commentary on how different social roles engage with opportunity and resources. Both cartoons satirize institutional power and social hierarchy.