Life, 1918-07-25 · page 26 of 36
Life — July 25, 1918 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"Style Triumphant"** mocks Senator J. Ham Lewis (identifiable by the rose-throwing entrance), known for his flamboyant fashion. During WWI, he's prosecuted for wearing four suits daily while the nation sacrifices. His defense—that stylish senators set a moral example and that appearances preserve democracy—satirizes vanity during wartime. The judge discharges him, suggesting the absurdity isn't worth discussing. The joke: Life ridicules wealthy politicians' priorities when soldiers die and military budgets fail (the "$640 million" without producing a single plane references wasteful wartime spending). **"No Man's Land—The Prohibition Idea"** (top cartoon) shows civilians blown apart by explosions, sarcastically framing Prohibition as chaotic as a war zone. This anti-Prohibition commentary suggests the ban creates societal destruction equivalent to battlefield carnage. The dog stories and marriage anecdote are humorous filler unrelated to political satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
a ————+ ae GWU ae (rr “NO MAN'S LAND” THE PROHIBITION IDEA OF IT The prisoner laughed viva- ciously. Style Triumphant MONG the prisoners ar- raigned in court was one who gave his name as J. Ham Lewis. He threw a rose at the court when he entered. “The charge against this man,” said the judge, “is dress- ing in too beautiful a manner in war time. We have wit- nesses to prove that you, sir, wear four suits of clothes a day and that you have the repu- tation of being the handsomest man in the United States Sen- ie. It is true, your honor,” said the prisoner, with a modest “Never!” he exclaimed. “As long as we spent six hundred and forty million dollars and produced not even a_ single battle-plane, I claim the right of having my cravats and pa- jamas made to order and of depressing the barbarian enemy by my fancy waistcoats. The learned judge uneasily. n the harrowing circum- stances,” he announced, “ the prisoner is discharged, and per- haps the less said about. this unusual case the better.” shifted Momentous Days in Fido's Life HE day he found a parcel of steak in the snow. The day he tried to bluff a skunk. The day a vivisectionist looked at him appraisingly. The day his little friend died. The day the dog-catcher, who was chasing him, slipped on a banana peel. The day they tried to put him out of church, bow. “I cannot help my fatal beauty. I set the style for my able confreres; but even in time of war I claim that appearances must be preserved. If the other sen- ators didn’t have me to look up to, in a short time they would all he wearing blue flannel shirts and red flannel lingerie. You must remember, your honor, that, if the world is to be made safe for democracy, it ought to be done in style. To dress well is a moral obli- gation imposed upon the highest civic ideals. Besides, it's a matter of per- “1 THINK YUM-YUM WANTS TO BURY THAT YOU MIGHT DIG A HOLE FOR HIM sonal attention, rather than a woful extravagance. Every night before say ing my prayers and going to bed I carefully push my trousers in between the mattresses, and thus preserve the creas It is in details of this sort tl T manage to maintain my prestige. “ Are you prepared,” asked the court, “to submit to an itemized account of your wardrobe for the coming year, in- cluding side combs?” The day he won the blue rib- bon at the dog show. The day they let him in on the family picture. The day his master left for the war. DUSKY bride of South having been deserted at the altar, so to speak, a sympathizing friend en- deavored to find a substitute for the missing groom-to-be, “Go on Sam, an’ tek dat gal. She's done been co'ted. ‘All you's got to do is marry huh.” Carolina comicbooks.com