Life, 1919-02-06 · page 26 of 38
Life — February 6, 1919 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines charitable appeals with wartime satire. The main content documents "The French Babies"—a Life magazine fundraising campaign for French war orphans (likely from WWI), listing donors who sponsored individual children. The cartoons mock the home front's complacency: 1. **"Now, Girls, Let's See the Dirt Fly"**: A large globe depicts women rolling up their sleeves to work—satirizing exaggerated patriotic fervor about domestic contributions while actual warfare devastates Europe. 2. **"Rookie" cartoon**: A soldier describes camouflage as turning an airplane into a horse—absurd military logic, mocking either military incompetence or soldiers' tall tales. 3. **"An Important Cablegram"**: President Wilson receives a complaint about postal service from Paris, while orphans need aid. The satire suggests Americans prioritize trivial domestic complaints over urgent humanitarian crises abroad. The overall message: Life critiques American self-satisfaction and trivial concerns during wartime suffering.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
214 The French Babies OK the aid of the French war orphans Lire has received, in all, $309,280.20, from which we have re- mitted to Paris 1,7¢ Wigsi Baby ‘No. Torrance Rel for Raby BOF Reyewats: Mr and Mrs, BE. L. Rrow Vancouver, Wash., 3. Mr. and Mrs W fa " Barbara, Ca . Theodore BABY NUMER 3360 Already acknowledged Rookie: CAMOUFLAGE 18 CERTAINLY WONDERFUL ! ME THIS ELOOMIN’ AIRPLANE WaS 4 HOKSE THEY TOLD *LIFE- * NOW, GIKLS, LET'S SEE THE DIRT FLY” Mt Airy, Mich An Important Cablegram Wirsox, Paris: LEASE hurry home and do some thing to our rotten postal servi Tue American Peort S MAMMA: Come now Willie, I am ready to hear you repeat your history lesson. Witte: Aw, let history repeat it: —\ivge suerior, self. BABY 2919