Life, 1918-08-08 · page 20 of 36
Life — August 8, 1918 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains WWI-era American satire mocking both mysticism and German war responsibility. **"The Incongruent Yogi"** ridicules a fake Eastern mystic named Grishunder Goosh who poses as spiritually transcendent but betrays himself through mundane contradictions—he performs "miracles" yet buys rice from "Fritz" (Germany) and borrows money via Western Union instead of supernatural means. The satire targets popular American fascination with fraudulent Eastern spiritualism. **"An Open Letter"** directly addresses Dr. William Muchlon (apparently a former Krupp's director) asking him to convince Germans that the Kaiser caused the war. This reflects American frustration that German citizens rejected responsibility for WWI's outbreak, despite widespread international acknowledgment of German culpability. **"A Study in Scarlet"** is a brief joke about the Kaiser's red hair, implying his aggressive temperament. **"The Point of View"** presents contrasting romantic interpretations of the same man's appearance—lost love versus successful love—a common humor format. All content reflects American wartime propaganda efforts and period attitudes toward both German accountability and Oriental mysticism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
INDER GOOSH, the Yogi, Is like a Pittsburg stogy As to color. His eyes with dreams are misted; His offside car is twisted Like a cruller The Psychic-Rosicrucian-Transcendental Hermetic-Theosophic Oriental ! He broods. in striking poses, On past metempsychoses Through the hours ; The mages of all ages Enrich this Eastern sage’s Mystic power: And none I ever knew could match Gri- shunder in diligently doing deeds of wonder, He'll take some rice and sow it; Then, stirred before you know it By the fairies, That rice will quickly flourish, Producing fruit to nourish Ten canaries! An Open Letter Dr, William Muchlon. IR: T hear on fairly reliable au- thority that you were at one time director of Krupp’s and that you have issued a statement declaring that the Kaiser brought on the war. We have heard rumors to that effect before; in fact, everyone in the world knows that the Kaiser did bring on the war, except the ones that it would do the most good to know—namely, the German people. Couldn't you get it home to them? It might save much loss of life. They might believe you, doctor, even if you are a German. Try it, Philosophically yours, Lire. A Study in Scarlet S the Kaiser got red hair?” “He must have, if he runs his. hands through it.” Yet Goosh, like any Occidental scorner, Buys all his rice from Fritz around the corner! 1 find his way of sending A message (patent pending) Most appealing : His spirit, free of fetters, Can waft you notes and letters Through the ceiling! And yet with me he mostly holds com- munion Per Postal-Telegraph or Western Union Commanding spooks and witches, He might be lord of riches Past all measures, For sacks of golden ducats And rubies heaped in buckets Wait his pleasure. Yet, strange to tell, this absent-minded scholar Dropped in just now and borrowed hali a dollar! Arthur Guiterman, The Point of View a E looks to me like a man who had loved and lost.” “He looks to me more like a man who had loved and won.” = ORs Crsbing Lord Bulifinch: SIBLE THE CHAMELEL N GIRL CARES FOR THAT FROG , THAT “ BOUNDER "? Duchess Cheesemore: IT LOOKS SO, EVERY TIME HE COMES NEAR SHE CHANGES COLOR, comicbooks.com