Life, 1918-09-12 · page 9 of 34
Life — September 12, 1918 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece depicts a confrontation between a newspaper **Director** and his **Assistant** over press censorship during wartime (likely WWI, given the "U.S. Army" imagery). The Director insists on suppressing unfavorable news, particularly regarding **Mr. Hearst** (William Randolph Hearst, the powerful newspaper magnate). The Assistant argues that journalists and the press need access to truthful information. The bottom cartoons show the contrast: American soldiers honored "over there" while other Americans receive the "Iron Cross" (German decoration) "over here"—satirizing how the suppressed domestic press fails to inform citizens while soldiers fight abroad. The satire critiques wartime censorship and media manipulation by powerful publishers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Exceptional (4 Possibility) FFICE of the Chief Director of Public Suppression. Person The Director. His Assistant. Time: Near future? Assistant > Good morn- ing, sire. Pardon, you are late. Director: Well, well, what's to be done? Assistant: There's a mass of material waiting to be released. f The newspapers will all be late to-day—very late. Director: Teach 'em a lesson! Have you read over this wire news? Assistant: As much as I had time to. Dixector: Anything interesting? (The telephone rings, The Assistant, calling hastily to several stenographers, proceeds to transmit the news items he receives. This process lasts some time. At its conclusion the conversation is renewed.) Assistant: It might be well, sire, for you to pass on this stuff. They want to know something fairly. ap- proximating the truth, and now the only thing that comes out regularly is our Official Bulletin—and, of course, the Hearst papers. Director: Never forget the Hearst papers. Look here! Don’t you make any suggestions to me. I know my husiness. These poor fools of the press may as well understand, once for all, that the time has gone by when they can indulge in any individual expres- sion of opinion, You have notified them, I presume, that hereafter all editorials will be suppressed? ASSISTANT: Director: F Yes, sire. ept: Mr. Oh, yes! cepting Mr. Hearst's, Dixrctor (settling Well, now, let me run over this news and print. (Leisurely Enter a messenger.) Where are (salaaming, in accord Hearst's. Assistant: Always ex- down) what's fit. to lights a cigar. see ASSISTANT you from? Mrssencrx ance with t that all pu urnalists military instructions editors devils shalt and his lishers, printers and printers to the Director t honor, | bear a petition AL PRE * from the newspapers and periodicals of America. Assistant (snatching it away from him and reading its contents rapidly): Sire! Director (still absorbed in account of a prize fight): Well? Assistant: Here is a petition from the Press of the Country. They are already coming out a day late, and im- plore you to release to-da: material otherwise there will be no apers at all to-morrow—except, of course, Mr. Hearst's. Director: Ha! That's the idea is it? Well, I'll whisper a secret. Assistant: What secret, sir Director (cheerfully): 1 was late this morning on purpose. “On purpose!” “Yes. Let the presses of the coun- try wait. Let's keep the papers from coming out at all to-morrow ; and then, if nothing happens, who knows but what in a short time we shall be able to get along without them at all? Assistant: Except Mr. Hearst's. Director: Oh, yes!—always except- ing Mr. Hearst's! “Ewe cer = OVER THERE AMPRICAN THE CROIX DE GUE wine wren “Me AKY HONORED VERY LARGE FOR HIS AGE I VE been reading all the war books.” What for?” “Well, I wanted to get away from the reality of it.” OVER HERE — comicbooks.com 0 mages =e ft