Life, 1918-12-19 · page 31 of 34
Life — December 19, 1918 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical short story (continued from a previous page) using classical mythology to critique U.S. Congress. Zeus tasks the mythological hero Hercules with "cleaning up Congress"—framed as his most difficult labor yet, harder than his famous Twelve Labors. The satire targets Congressional dysfunction: Zeus complains that Congress is "cluttered" with "Obstructionists, Flappers, Little Groups of Wilful Men, Ignoramuses, Jackasses and Southern Democrats" blocking helpful legislation. The accompanying **"Applied Patriotism" advertisement** (by AT&T) uses wartime messaging to promote female telephone operators as essential war workers, showing how women were recruited into the workforce during WWI while maintaining patriotic rhetoric about their "duty." Both pieces reflect early-20th-century frustrations: political gridlock in Congress and the mobilization of women's labor for wartime needs.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
— The Labor That Floored er Hercules thes AY mosphere of gloom pervaded ot the grill-room of the Mt. Olympus ty-mile Country Club. Zeus, the with an expression of help- fessness and disgust. on his. patrician features. sat at a small table in the cor- ner and drew designs on the table-top refimger moistened in neeta with a growl of rage, olf: and thunder! and petulantly at the gong on the call, The resultant crash and ought ymede, the club hastening to the room mede,” cried Zeus in exasper- Lowish you'd get Herentes y you know where he is?" aAse-cups on sun-chariot. VM call him: for than five minutes the door of oom was entircly blocked by tic figure of Hercules, whe ing the mud and grease from son the tail of his lion-skin * said Zeus, gulping down nectar and stroking his am- in a preoceupied man- wwe sent for you reputation of beity ny labor, no matter how severe. se of it successfully.” Hercules Langhed loudly. “The more roared Hexing. the better,” he on your labor, and watch me eat it up! What is it, anyway?” V's this way,” declared Zeus ca little friend in Washiny | visit on Wednesday and Satur- Recently she told me that i Congress were so clut with Obstenetionists, Flap Little Groups of Wilful Men. . Ignoramuses, Jackasses Democrats that it was Impossible to get any helpful nic legislation through them sed myself as a patriot, and "6 BELLANS Hot water Applied Patriotism Woman has made herself indis- pensable to the Nation's war activities. | This is being demonstrated daily in many splendid ways. The telephone | operator takes her place in the front | ranks of our “national army” of women. Back of the scenes, invisible, her war work is to make telephone com- munication possible. Through her the Chief of Staff in Washington speaks to the Cantonment Commandant in a far-off state. The touch of her fingers forges a chain of conversation from Shipping Board to shipyard, Quarter- master General to supply depot, mer- chant to manufacturer, city to country, office to home. = One Policy tried to argue with sume of them: but my efforts were worse than useless Then | thought of the success which attended your clean-up of the Augean stable: 1 f made up my mind that, if you were willing to make the at- tempt, 1 would let you go down and try to clean up Congress. If you should succeed, my little friend would be de- lighted, and the whole Americ a tion would erect a million statu Without her this increasing com- plexity of military, business and civil life could not be kept smoothly work- ing. Hers is patriotism applied. She is performing her part with enthusiasm and fidelity. The increasing pressure of war work continually calls for more and more telephone operators, and young women in every community are answering the summons—cheerfully and thoughtfully shouldering the responsibilities of the telephone serv- ice upon which the Nation depends. Each one who answers the call helps speed up the winning of the war. fey AMErican TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY } AND ASSOCIATED COMPANIES One System Universal Service you. Do you think that you can do te? * Do 1!" exclaimed Hercules. “* Why, Zeus. 1 could do that with a blinder over one eye!” Zeus wagged his head in admiration at Hercules’ confidence and willing- 1 he, “that this is a labor which will make all your other labors look like child's play.” (Continued on page 949) ness. “1 warn you,” si comicbooks.com