Life, 1918-12-26 · page 23 of 35
Life — December 26, 1918 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"Polish Pogrom Stories"** presents a dismissive argument against reports of Jewish persecution in Poland. The text claims pogroms are "Bolshevist and German propaganda," arguing Poland has historically been hospitable to Jews. However, it then pivots to antisemitic conspiracy theory: suggesting Polish Bolshevists (identified as Jewish) deliberately weaken the government for exploitation, and asserting that Bolshevism's "nerve and leadership" is Jewish-controlled. **"How Mr. Smith Manages to Keep Up"** is a humorous cartoon about a man overwhelmed by his growing family (shown in an overloaded car), satirizing the challenges of supporting large households. **"The New Democracy"** is a light domestic humor piece about annoying personality quirks becoming endearing character traits over time. The page reveals *Life* magazine publishing mainstream antisemitic tropes during this period—conflating Judaism with Bolshevism and suggesting Jewish conspiracies—while simultaneously running lighter satirical content.
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Polish Pogrom Stories D2. 104 betieve the stories of Jewish pogroms" in Poland that you read in the papers. One hears that they are Bolshevist | German propaganda. the reason why there are about five Hion Jews in Poland (fourteen per tof the population) is that Poland more hospitable to Jews than r countries, and let them in when Fr countries threw them out. Ii you ask what motive Polish Bol- ists would have for circulating stories and aiding jalse “pogrom” German propagands, and. inquire CHRISTMAS WINDOWS whether the Polish Jews prefer Ger- man government, you may be told, No, but that the Polish Bolshevists, who are Jews, prefer, of course, a weak gov- ernment to a strong one, because un- der a weak government they can better exploit the country. Possibly the papers that have been hospitable to pogrom stories, and very loath until lately to print denials of them, will not admit that this story of the preference of Polish Bolshevists for a weak government in Poland is true. One would like to know just how much truth there is in it. But then there are a lot of things one would like to know, and among them, what HOW MR. SMITH MANAGES TO KEEP UP WITH THE INCREASE IN HIS FAMILY proportion of the Bolshevists in all the world are Jews. The proportion to be large. All Jews are not Bolshevists, but a strong impression obtains that very nearly all Bolshevists are Jews, and that the nerve and leadership of the whole Bolshevist movement is Jewish. That, if true, is very curious, and very interesting. seems very The New Democracy “PYID you enjoy your walk Jimmi hel? “Hardly. He couldn't pass an exca- n without telling the workmen how they dug in in France, and once when he saw a team stuck in the mud he insisted on helping the driver talk to the horses.” PONT marry a sman with only one fault. It is all he has to go on By subtle processes of development it hecomes his Only Failing, his Great Peculiarity, his Strong Individuality. By the time it gets that far it is almost a halo, and together with his Irre- proachable Character it makes a daz- aling ensemble, beside which the “ com- mon garden” variety of mere human woman is verily dust. with comicbooks.com