Life, 1918-10-17 · page 16 of 38
Life — October 17, 1918 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate satirical pieces: **Top cartoon**: Shows American soldiers discussed as a "new type" of fighter—puritanical but detached from religious moorings, making them dangerously zealous. The text contrasts oligarchies (where honor is restricted) with democracy (where everyone can "strike"). The satire critiques American soldier intensity and suggests returning WWI veterans will reshape the nation, implying both promise and concern. **Middle cartoon ("Youth Will Be Served")**: Mocks rapid social change. Griggs jokes about "four-minute men" (fast-acting), referencing Revolutionary War "minute men"—suggesting modern life moves absurdly faster with no actual acceleration in capability. **Bottom piece ("Down and Perhaps Out")**: Satirizes "Ferdy of Bulgaria" (Ferdinand I, who allied with Germany in WWI and lost). The satire mocks him as a French-descended opportunist and failed gambler who should be reduced to sweeping Paris streets. The Russian-sounding parody excerpt mocks Slavic-themed literature, likely post-Revolutionary Russian writing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
556 beginning to recognize a new side of the American character, “a strange sort of deracinated puritanism ” — puritan- ism, detached from its root—“a creed- less fanaticism,” which makes our sol- diers such eager and persistent fighters. This ominous puritanism he sees in J democracy. America has its mocracy has its own them, faults, he says; d faults; but whereas an oli system under which dignity, spirit, the sense of honor, are restricted to a few archy is a who are allowed to walk upright, “ de- mocracy means a state where every zs, and it is a pos- ture that leaves the hands free to strike.” Our own people tell us we never saw man is on his hind ley wt home such men as stand for us in Europe. They were good stock as we knew them, but the war has made them Our West Pointers are quoted ying: “They grabbed our West Point tradition of absolute obedience. and ran away with it” These are the men who are going to run this country for a generation to come, That is the thing about them that is important to us. They are at school over there. When they come back they will keep school, and the country will get the good of all that is good in their training, and presently, let us hope. our tall heads will bump the stars over. as § “po YOU SEE THE MURDERIN’ BRUTES, HENRY?” RIGGS: Well, the world seems to move faster and faster all the time. Grices: Nonsense! During the Revo- lution we had minute men. have four-minute men. Now we YOUTH WILL BE SERVED Down and Perhaps Out HEN Ferdy of Bulgaria gets his there will be no mourners. Ferdy is French; grandson of Louis Philippe; son of Princess Clementine called in her old the cleverest diplomatist of Europe. He belonged to the old school of men, and alwa aimed to fish in the pool that had the most trout. The French hate him as an apostate, and compliment him with that complete dis trust which is accorded to a finished liar. He bet on the Germans, and has lost Put him on a broom; give him a crossing in Paris, and sec that he sweeps it. uropean states Extracts from a Future Novel HEIR eyes metski With a great sobovitch she sank into his armski. “Cursakoff youski!” he criedovitch He kissigoffed againski againski “ Ahaski!” she sneerediski, “at last ervitch we have meteroffski! “Gawdski,” he exclaimed, “all my life I have beenovitch a damphoolski!” her and comicbooks.com