Life, 1919-02-20 · page 25 of 34
Life — February 20, 1919 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"To a Certain Distinguished Personage"** attacks an unnamed political figure (likely a Cabinet member or president) for poor judgment in selecting advisors, despite eloquent rhetoric. The satire questions whether someone who writes so persuasively chooses incompetent men for government posts. **"Recuperation"** mocks wealthy profiteers recovering at Palm Beach while complaining about government-owned railroads—satirizing the hypocrisy of the rich. **"Profiteers"** is the page's main satire, using absurdist humor to critique war profiteers. It mockingly suggests bald men profit from expensive haircuts, vegetarians from high food prices, and Christian Scientists from charging fees (the text implies they charge $1.50 when people don't see doctors, now $3 during wartime). The underlying point: certain groups are cynically exploiting wartime inflation while claiming to hold moral or spiritual principles, yet avoid paying war taxes. **"In Claude Kitchin's Land"** references the Congressman and criticizes war profiteering affecting ordinary veterans.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
To a Certain Distinguished Personage Vv" TER of winged words, \Vielder of supple pen, ur choice of phrase is unsurpassed— What of your choice of men? i not pick for a race rses unfit to runt! savould not choose for war usted, useless gun! tof your Cabinet's strength? < cach adviser’s view id far-sighted enough: toh for your country and you? riter of winged words, \Wielder of supple pen, omen mean less than all things else? \hat of your choice of men? Ruth Lambert Jones. Recuperation ID Palm Beach set you up any in health?” Oh, om: yes! Tt almost) counter- I the effects of the journey home our government-owned railroads.” I (PP: That fellow Guzzler is a bird Teen: Ves, life with Guzzler is just swallow after another AWPUL MOMENT JUST BEFORE LOOKING AT THE BILL Profiteers HERE are certain profiteers in this era of high prices who have, so far, escaped mention. The same causes that have made the most of us spend more money than ever have enabled them to save more. Take the bald- headed man for instance. Think of how much more he saves nowadays. He used to save a quarter every couple of weeks; now he saves fifty cents—and the price of hair cuts is still going up. Look about vou and see how many bald-headed men are riding around in their limousines. Thousands of ‘em! wonder Their profits have doubled, Consider the vegetarians. You can get a pound of pota- toes for a few cents: a pound of meat costs you cighty cents. Why, the vegetarians have made so much money th they don’t know how to use it. You seldom see a cheerful, smili v rian, do you? No! Their ill gotten wealth has soured them; they've forgotten how to live. IN CLAUDE KITCHIN's LAND Then there are the Christian Scientists. They used to Old Lady (seving veteran's scars from shrapnel wounds): Make a dollar and a half every time they didn’t have a doc- {VE SEX, SILAS! THEME MUST "\’ DEEN SOMETHIN’ To TUAT tor. Now they make three dollars, \What do they do with FALK IN THE PAPERS, O" TMERE BEIN’ & WAR, AFTER ALL! these war profits? Are they paying a tax on them? comicbooks.com