Life, 1919-01-16 · page 24 of 34
Life — January 16, 1919 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page documents Life magazine's charitable campaign to aid French war orphans during World War I. The headline "More Than Three Hundred Thousand" refers to dollars raised by readers. The main cartoon, "The Worm Will Turn," depicts a domestic scene where a soldier's wife has invited female ambulance corps workers to dinner. The satire likely mocks how the war has inverted traditional gender roles—women now serve in military support positions ("ambulance corps"), which would have been scandalous pre-war. The "worm turning" suggests role reversals and social upheaval caused by the conflict. Below are photographs of French orphans being sponsored through the campaign, each assigned a "baby number." The text emphasizes that American readers' contributions have created genuine personal bonds between American donors and French families, challenging European stereotypes that Americans care only about money. This served propagandistic purposes, promoting American generosity and Franco-American solidarity during the war.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
96 More Than Three Hundred Thousand HE total of ack nowledg- ments below shows that Lirr’s readers than three thou more hundred dollars to- ting sand wards alley the sufferings of the war orphans of France and saving them for the future citi- zenry of their country. Before the work is finally closed we have no doubt that the total of children so aided will be at least thirty-six hundred. Besides the mate- rial aid to the children themselves, there is to be considered the solace and encouragement brought to their brave mothers, not only in lightening their but in them the YVONNE Baby QUINTIN, 3055 HUBBY SOON burdens, siving inspiring knowledge that they were not “f world. Well done, readers of Lire! Through this work there have been established a large endless in the number of very genuine ties between our own country and France. The interest of Lire’s readers has not been con- fined merely to the giving of pecuniary aid to relieve dis- Many of correspondence with their charges and the mothers, correspondence dificult to tress. them have started carry on in war conditions, but which will continue from this on with a closer bond hetween those interested. On the other hand there has been created all over France a new estimate of American character and a different understand- ing of the American relation to the almighty dollar. FAUL MENARD, Bapy 2872 BABY TIRED OF THE 30 ME INVITED IN ONE OF GABRIEL DUBATON, 253 THE WORM WILL TURN SOLDIER BOYS WIS WIFE BROUGHT HOME TO DINNER, THE FEMININE AMBULANCE CORPS The actual total so far received is $301,752.03, from which there have been remitted to Paris 1,616.337.23 francs Raby No. Griggs, rsons. New York City. f and Henry Charl by No. 3307 ‘ew York City. f h O, Stearns, 3509 and 3510. s 3 b ano, Waterman, Ore., for Raby No.gstt n loving n lary Dwight Rockwell, New York, for Raby No. 3 x : : Waterbury Frank J Eleanor Rice Griges Co: for Bi Chas. € of Jaines Dwight Rockwell, New York. for Mr, and Mrs. Charles ( No, 3sit P Mes EE. 1, Wright, St: Catharines, Ontario, Canada, for Raby No. 3516 < Mrs, George Breck. San Anseln Mroand Mrs, CR. Kennedy Wright, Cleveland, Obie, for Raby Cal. for Raby No, New York City isi9 for Baby No. “fer Baby’ No, 1. Gillespie. New Ortes GABRIELLE JOVEUSE, BABY 1956 MARCEL PUJO, BABY 2396