Life, 1918-05-30 · page 31 of 36
Life — May 30, 1918 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines patriotic appeals with period advertising, reflecting WWI-era concerns about American soldiers overseas. **Main Content:** Letters from soldiers at the front describe camp improvements and morale-boosting entertainment (Elsie Janis, popular songs). A YMCA welfare worker (Prof. Carl Holliday) sarcastically criticizes government "investigators" sent to monitor soldiers' moral behavior—claiming they're unnecessary busybodies since soldiers are well-behaved, busy, and tired. **The Satire:** The implied joke targets Victorian-era moral panic. Officials were genuinely concerned about soldier vice (drinking, fraternization); Holliday mocks this by insisting American soldiers need no surveillance and behave better than civilians imagine. He even defends French girls as properly chaperoned. **Advertising:** - Eastman Kodak urges parents to send photographs to boost soldiers' morale - Canada Steamship Lines advertises leisure travel ("Shooting the Rapids") **Historical Context:** This reflects 1918 anxieties about soldier welfare and morality during WWI, presenting an optimistic, sanitized view of military camp life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
and ling in he first gona 0. The of an f whom as very sudden a blow red the sailor. he last ke that lobe. farmer e door. dering anding farmer 2 ut I'm nornin’ atch a d from tea upplied free nd addressei urn of aes the dete ¢ yr Is Is we Letters from the Front (Continued from page 888) It is quite amusing to listen to the fellows when the band plays a piece that they all like. You would not have the east trouble picking out the favorite cnes. “Over There,” “Oh, Joy! Ob, Boy!" Where Do We Go from Her *1 Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now and some of the Hawaiian pieces receive wild cheers. To-morrow night there is going to be “some doings” in camp. You never could guess who will be here, so I will tell you right away: Elsie Janis—and you can just bet that the old “Y" will be more than packed. As you know, when T left camp last November we were all living in tents, and they had just started the new work here. The change is positively wonderful. One can hardly believe his eyes. No more tents, but buildings and railroads galore. I really wish that I could tell you all about it, but you, of course, understand why I cannot. Love to all. Cart. Worth Knowing Writing under date of April 8th, Prof. Carl Holliday, of Toledo University, now doing Y. M. C. A. welfare work in France, says: “AIL sorts of ‘investigators’ arrive here to look into the ‘ moral temptations surrounding our boys. They must think our soldiers are a lot of infants or else plain degenerates. I haven't seen a drunken American in all France. “If only the government would declare an embargo against the numerous inves- tigating parties that afflict us! We have Shooting the Rapids HE most satisfying trip in America for health and recreation, Almost 1000 miles of lakes, rivers and rapids, including the Thousand Islands, the exciting | escent of the marvelous rapids, the historic associations of Montreal, Quaint old Quebec, with its famous miracle- working shrine of Ste. Anne de Beaupré and the renowned Seguenay River with its stupendous Capes, “Trinity” and “Eternity,” higher than Gibraltar. Complete Standard Service maintained. Sate povage for Mostrated Meareal, Cansda St Canada Steamship Lines let. map and guide, to John F. Pierce, ship Lines, D1 C.'S. L. Bul That lad of yours, over seas. All that is humanly possible is be- ing done to see to it that he is well fed, well clothed and efficiently equipped. Organizations like the Y. M.C. A., are looking to his physical comfort, healthful recreation and clean fun. If he is sick or wounded the Red Cross will provide for him with ten- der, loving care. Yet there is one thing that will bring a smile to his face and a joy to his heart that none of these can give ; that only you can give— your photograph. There’s a photographer in your town. Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, N. Y. the investigators on the drink evil, in- vestigators on the social question, in- vestigators of this and of that. It seems that every fellow who wants to see France tries to get on some investigation committee. You should see the soldiers grin when one mentions ‘ investigating party.” “Really, there is nothing to investi- gate. Almost every soldier you talk with tells you he is feeling better than ever before; he is too busy to think of mean- ness during the day, and too tired at night, even if he had a permit to leave camp. And, moreover, our American public should remember that the average French girl is far more carefully watched and guarded than the average American girl. This camp life is making a real man of many a ‘sissy’ whose parents were making life much too easy for him.” SING a morgue-keeper is not a gladsome occupation, but e a morgue-keeper would be happy once a week if he happened to be an annual subscriber to Lire. comicbooks.com