Life, 1918-09-19 · page 22 of 34
Life — September 19, 1918 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical pieces about wartime taxation and propaganda, likely from WWI. **"The Stricken Statesman"**: A committee chairman literally faints when a new congressman suggests taxing working men and labor unions to finance the war. The satire mocks the political elite's shock at any proposal to burden the working class—implying such taxation would be obviously unpopular, yet necessary sacrifices are expected elsewhere. **"Sacrificial"**: A brief dialogue where one character claims "no man can acquire money without making sacrifices," while another counters with personal experience that even marriage requires sacrifice. The satire appears to critique wealthy or privileged figures preaching sacrifice to others while avoiding it themselves. **"Attention!"**: A recruitment notice for propagandists willing to promote war optimism and suppress peace talk. It sarcastically targets "disagreeable people" with "long faces" casting doubt on war effort, suggesting the government actively seeks yes-men and censors dissent. Together, these pieces critique wartime hypocrisy: unequal taxation burdens, selective demands for sacrifice, and suppression of skeptical voices.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ROBBIE 1S SENT TO GET A PIVE*bOLLAR The Stricken Statesman H 2 has fainted!” It was one of the his- toric moments in the history of the world. Ir der to raise money to. carry on the gigantic war, the Ways and Means Committee, posed of the prepondering in- tellects of modern times, had now been sitting during the entire m ning sidering all of the possible methods by which taxes could he raised the chairman of the committee seen to throw up his hands and col- lapse. Kind friends carrie open air. con dldenly was him to the At last he opened his eyes. The new member, who had apparently <bean a heen the cause of the collapse, had slunk away abashed. ~ What man was lid he say to you? sked “You will “the great searcely believe it,” he in reply, “but he actually had the audacity to suggest that the workin; and labor unions whispered hoarse men should he taxed in ori hare of the war.” to bear their Sacrificial “NO man can acquire money’ with- out making sacrifi man who had made his. said the ‘0, not even when he marries for it.” replied the man who had tried the experiment, ek MILL CHANGED Attention! ANTED spread Disagreeable people to German nda and covert prop: make suggestions about a patched-up peace. Remember, you do not have to be horn in Germany, or necessarily to be in outward sympathy with the Kaiser, You can be an Amer ican citizen, but a gloom. People wit! cheerful faces, who say little but work and not wanted. Only those who have long faces, are casting doubts on the War Department and intimati that we've had enough of war, need apply. Come as soon as you When we get you all together, will then explain what we will do with you. as as can we