Life, 1918-05-09 · page 28 of 40
Life — May 9, 1918 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The page contains two satirical pieces from *Life* magazine mocking American politics during World War I. **"All Dressed Up and No Place to Go"** (top cartoons) illustrates the caption's meaning: elaborately dressed figures have nowhere to go—satirizing overcomplicated preparation or readiness without purpose. **"Awful Thought"** (main article) quotes Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels claiming the war will eliminate political parties. The satire is biting: the author sarcastically responds that America *needs* both major parties—one representing "Corruption" and the other "Stupidity"—implying both Republicans and Democrats are equally compromised or incompetent. The piece mocks Daniels's idealism, suggesting partisan corruption is so fundamental to American politics that its absence would be catastrophic. **"Our Guest"** (bottom cartoon) shows a judge offering a defendant vacation choice between luxury locations, satirizing leniency toward connected defendants—suggesting justice is negotiable for the privileged. The page reflects wartime cynicism about American institutions and political corruption.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ALL DRESSED UP AND NO PLACE TO GO Awful Thought R. JOSEPHUS DANIELS, who is, we are reliably informed, Sec- retary of the Navy, has recently come out with a startling statement, made at a Methodist Episcopal church, and therefore not to be disputed. Said Mr. Daniels : “There are no Democrats, no Repub- a licans, no Progressives. The war is perhaps going to be a long one, and the thought that we shall never behold a Republican again is enough to make strong men weep. We | might manage without Progressives, distressing as that thought is, but how are we going to get along without Democrats? What the Republicans failed to steal the Demacrats spent in rivers and har- bors and post offices, until the Repub- licans came in again, and by creating new sources of revenue managed to keep up the merry-go-round of finan- cial corruption, Then the pendulum would swing back. What are we going to do without them? Is Mr. Daniels seeking to de- stroy our hope of the future? How can any republic exist without two first-class model political parties—one representing Corruption, and the other Stupidity? Let the war go on, but give us back our idols. “Q@AY, Bob, have you heard your father say anything about your sis- ter and me?” OUR GUEST Bos: No; all I heard him say was Judge (sentencing Hun plotter): Wovty You PREFER SPENDING THIS—ER— that it was something he simply VACATION IN THE ADIRONDACKS OR AT BAR HARBOR? couldn't talk about. Re comicbooksseaa]