Life, 1918-05-23 · page 27 of 40
Life — May 23, 1918 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains political commentary on Irish independence and post-WWI corruption. **Main Cartoon:** The circular illustration depicts three men in an airplane cabin appearing to discuss or negotiate. The caption reveals a scathing critique of wartime profiteering: a manufacturer and contractor admit to making enormous profits ($300,000 and $600,000 respectively) by cutting corners on airplane materials—with the contractor never even seeing a plane fly. This satirizes the widespread defense-contract fraud and war profiteering scandals of the WWI era. **Left Column Essay:** "Who Would Be Free Must Get Together" argues that Irish independence requires unity among fractious groups (Ulster unionists, Irish nationalists, Sinn Féiners). The author suggests geography and logic demand they cooperate rather than fight each other or Britain, comparing Irish political dysfunction to Russian and French-Canadian difficulties. **"Too Good to Be True" Section:** Brief satirical items mock implausible postwar scenarios (Hindenburg in Central Park), likely referencing actual military figures and proposals from 1918-1920.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Who Would Be Free Must Get Together government was possible in REE Russia if the mass of the Russians had known enough to accept it. There was nothing to hinder except them- selves, their gross incapacity to dis- tinguish hetween political sense and political folly, their impatience of re- straint and discipline following gen- erations of subjection to authority often brutal T but to most of us who look across the generalize about Ireland is rash, seas it scems as if free government. already all but completely enjoyed there, is possible in the fullest measure compatible with being part of Great Britain, if the Irish are capable of agreement to accept it. Nothing seems to hinder but the incompatibility of the Irish with themselves and their i ty to agree to be happy though governed, even when they themselves do the governing. The Russians, at present, are impos- sible. The Irish are very. very difti- cult. As for the Frencl-Canadians. they are French-Canadians, and being off ina corner they don’t matter much But the Irish-Ulstermen, and Sinn Feiners ought to get together, Geography forbids them to ationalists ight Great Britain or to fight among themselves. They would be no hetter suited with Prussian government than other folks are. and should make the necessary sacrifices of bellicose inclination to stand it off. To he free it only needs that they uld recognize freedom when they see it. So far as England is concerned it is hound to be pressed upon them. Too Good to Be True Some Popular Fiction ESTERDAY General Wood took luncheon at the White House. Ten thousand from an Ameri rplanes were shipped n port yesterday Senator Cabot Lodge hecame chair- man of the Foreign Affairs Committee, General Hindenburg will soon be on exhibition in Central Park. HEN Foch meets Boche, then comes the tug of war. Manufacturer: By CUTTING DOWN ON THE QUALITY OF MATERIALS T MADE THREL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OUT OF THESE AIRPLANE THING Contractor: 1 MADE TWICE THAT MUCH OUT OF 'EM, AND 1 HAVE NEVER SEEN ONE PLY. Progress and Precedents KOGRESS is the process of producing new precedents and becoming accus- tomed to them, Mental motion is subject to the same laws that govern physical motion. That is to say, when the mind gets started in a given direction, it tends to con- tinue in'that direction until some new force comes along and gives it a shunt into another direction. But there is this difference. Speaking physically, continued motion, even in the same direction, may mean progress, but mentally, continued motion in the same direction merely is equivalent to standing still. Using the same methods to-day that we used yesterday may mean activity, contentment, prosperity and a number of other things, but in the bright lexicon of youth it doesn't mean progress. comicbooks.com