Life, 1918-10-24 · page 25 of 34
Life — October 24, 1918 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct elements: **Left side:** A fundraising list for "Life's" baby welfare program, acknowledging donations (many $73, suggesting a standard contribution amount) from individuals and organizations. Notably, the first entry honors Gareth Downing, a Navy officer who died in service, whose family established a fund to help others. **Right side:** Two satirical pieces: 1. **Political cartoon** (top): A dialogue between the Kaiser and "Hindie" (likely his Hindu ally) mocking German military confidence. The Kaiser jokes that God is on Germany's side, but admits their best general has gone missing—a dark joke about military incompetence or desertion during World War I. 2. **Literary essay** (bottom): "Genius in the Making" ridicules novelist Theodore Dreiser's reputation. Life sarcastically credits literary critics and court suppression of his work (for sexual content) with creating his fame, suggesting his renown is manufactured hype rather than merit. The piece dismisses his early novels as poorly written.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LIFE™ With one of the contributions mentioned below came this message: “Enclosed is check for seventy-three dollars ‘The money is sent by my late son, Gareth Downing, who, in giving his life for his country, left a fund to help others.” We gratefully acknowledge from Gareth Downing, late of the United States Navy, San Krai cisco, Cal, for Raby No. 3207... - lise Maltory Davis, New York City, for Babies Nos nid 3209 6 ~ soe ic Andrews, Bethesda, Mi Ada Barry, Philipy soph C, Hartwell, P itty, King Corbett’ and Du Raby No. : : © Wat ‘clluride, Coio., for Baby Xow 3, i li, Grandin’ Mili Winifred Tourison Pal. for Baby No. 3219 Camp Fire Girls of Chester, W. Va., for Baby No. for Taby’ 3 nds, for Raby : R. i, for Bi 3 3 ry No.3 rbett, Bay City, Texas » Jamestown, . . Cranska, Moosup, Conn., for Raby No. Harwood Spencer, New York City, for Babies’ Nox Mary Caroline Lewis, Norfolk, Va. for ‘Baby’ No. from O'Fallon, Til.” for Baby Te nes Wilson Newell Wash., for aby No, 3 dobert Bird, Montelair, N. J.. for Baby No. ten Department of Pa fof Junior Red Cross Pont Andrews, Cal... $73 Neni f Jand, Jaiker,” San Francisc San Francisco, \ Alameda. Mrs.” Mrs. John § Belle . awkes, Ridgefield, Conn.. $73: Esther RB. Pears Lower Falls, Mags.. $73; Sales Force of The Crof Compan ork City, $50; In. memory Glover," Los Angeles. Cal. $10: D.C. Teague, San Di $36.50; Virginia C. and Edith M. Wyman, Boston, Mass.. § utnts on Accoust: Mrs. A. S. Sigurdso $3: Harry Bickley, Williamsburg, I’ ‘a. $10; The ladies of the Mem ny Wis tham, "N.Y. 5 Miss.. Flagstaff. O: 2 Miss Dorothy an, Northamp ; Sunshine Club, Tnkster, Mich... Sio: Mis, E. P. Odeneal, Gulfport, Miss, $102 Room 13, Mis soula County’ High School, Alice W RARY NUMBER 3173 Mee chnowle Anonymous BABY NUMBER 3217 Rockford, HL Gillespie, W Wyo Portsmouth, “Archie, Middleton and Iry Mercersinirg. ¥ Nelson PL Bonney, Norwich, N.Y. Genius in the Making HE business of creating a literary genius, giv ing him body and permanence enough to make him stick, is a hard job. A gang of literary laborers has been working on Theodore Dreiser now for some time. He has been proclaimed over and over again as the greatest novelist in America or. for that matter, in the world. One of his books has been suppressed, which was a great help. Owing to its sex leanings, it was appropriately advertised by scenes in court, in which literary experts modest- ly gave their opinions, and the virtuous publishers wept on the shoulders of the shrinking author. For the benefit of those hopelessly ignorant and be- nighted people who have never heard of Theodore Dreiser, we will say that his first book, entitled “ Sister Kaiser: Wat's THIS FOOLISH: RUMOR AOUT THE ALLIES WINNING? ISN'T GOTT ON OUR SIDE? Hindie: YAU, ME WAS. BUT, ALL-IIGHEST, HE IS RE- PORTED MISSING THIS MORNING, AND IT IS RELIEVED THAT HE WAS DESERTED, Carrie,” appeared in 1901, and was so badly written that it immediately attracted the attention of the great lit erary minds of the country. The news was cabled to England that another American genits had been born, and the small band of Bohemian highbrows, who pt sate between upper Sixth Avenue and Printing House Square, shouted the glad tidings to the purlieus of Indiana England rejoiced, and Mr. Reedy, of the St. Louis Mirror prepared to welcome the newcomer to the sacred circle of Geniuses, along with Ambrose Bierce and—we have for- gotten the other’s name. Mr. Dreiser's next book, “ Jennie Gerhardt,” was even worse than the first, and thus his claim was firmly established. But it was not until b latest book (the one suppressed) was written that the world knew who he was. Then to make his reputation unanswerable, he wrote a brochure on America, showing how thoroughly rotten we are, how we have no art, no literature (except his own) and no soul—a discovery that was made, by the way, by Christopher Columbus. Mr Dreiser is now known as a genius of the first order, with an “epoch-making” mind. It has only remained for him to be described by Edgar Lee Masters as follows: “One eye set higher than the other, mouth out like a scallop in 2 pie. The eyes burn like a flame at the end of a funnel, and the ruddy face glows like a pumpkin at Hal- lowe’en.” When you meet a face like that you will know that it helongs to a genuine, simon-pure American genius. Gastronomical “LUM: nn mused the American Army goat after Cha- teau-Thierry, as he stretched out on the dugout floor to digest spiked helmets and shrapnel shells made in Ger- many. “I guess I did my bit “Don't he so d—d boastful,” retorted the sergeant of marines, as he reproachfully but affectionately stroked the mascot's distended sides. “Wait till we take you down Unter Den Linden and feed you on the Hindenburg statue. comicbooks.com