Life, 1918-06-27 · page 9 of 37
Life — June 27, 1918 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains WWI-era satirical content. The top illustration depicts soldiers in a trench raid with explosions and casualties—captioned "Sandy McTavish Dropped Sixpence During Last Night's Raid," a dark joke about wartime losses. The main article, "Our Tortured Army Officers," criticizes the military uniform's high, tight collar, comparing it to historical punishments like stocks used on Pilgrims. The satire argues that as warfare intensifies, uncomfortable uniforms become impractical and potentially dangerous—officers shouldn't be "choked to death by their house-collars." The small joke "All the Same" features a character named Moneyrocks, playing on miserliness: when told he must give money "until it hurts," he responds that anything he gives hurts him anyway—a commentary on wartime sacrifice expectations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*~LIFE- 1017 SANDY MC TAVISH DROPPED SIXPENCE DURING LAST NIGHT'S RAD Our Tortured Army Officers HE are points about the uniforms of the officers of our armed forces which are enough to make strong men shrink = The high, tight collar, for example, is useful to remind its wearers of the discomforts which the Pilgrim Fathers had to undergo when they were put in the stocks for wife-beating or sleeping in church; but it is difficult to see what other purpose it serves. The blouse, moreover, is so tight that when even a postage stamp is carried in one of the pockets its outline is apt to show through the cloth. . As the war progresses, our officers will doubtless pick up many odds and ends which they will wish to carry in their pockets. In view of this fact, it might not be a bad idea if our uniforms were made comfortable, commodious, use- ful and stylish. The English have proved that it can be done. Since a five-year war is being predicted, the changes might as well come now as later, for we shall need our officers too much to allow them to be choked to death by their blouse-collars All the Same “PID you tell old Moneyrocks that he must give until it hurts?" 4 “No. That wouldn't h Anything he gives hurt ve made any difference to him, VERY FIRST AID | xum | comicbooks.com