Life, 1919-03-20 · page 41 of 44
Life — March 20, 1919 — page 41: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines editorial complaint with automobile advertising. **The Editorial Complaint ("A Queer State of Affairs"):** A letter to Life's editor protests U.S. government restrictions on Hawaiian travel and commerce during the post-WWI period. The writer argues Hawaii—a major source of sugar and pineapples for the war effort—is being unfairly treated compared to Cuba and South America. Specifically, travelers to Hawaii must obtain permits in San Francisco, while travel between other U.S. cities is unrestricted. The letter, from Hawaii's Promotion Committee secretary, frames this as discriminatory and economically damaging. **The Advertisement:** Below runs a full-page Liberty Six automobile ad featuring a photograph of well-dressed passengers in an open car, emphasizing quality and owner satisfaction. **The Satirical Point:** The juxtaposition is the joke—the earnest complaint about government red tape and Hawaiian injustice sits directly above commercialized self-promotion, highlighting the magazine's dual role as both social critic and advertising vehicle. The contrast mocks both bureaucratic absurdity and consumer culture's trivial concerns.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Queer State of Affairs IFE has received the following com- L munication, which indicates another of the many injustices created by the re foolish-than-usual Congress: cent more E—Sir The ssenger ton y ignored Hawaii, We note that ca and Cuba are being sup. and our request for p is unavailing, We feel lv on this subject, inasmuch as ch a part of terprises as is the grow: nd pineapples. In view ties of Hawaii, wherein “over the top” on every «subscription, includ ngs Stamps, we feel that take precedence of any when it comes to allot re hip tone We are egral part d States, our war-workers of > crowds HE ie Uniced States are anxious to come to y in your 4 atone = . There is a marked difference in the way the vasant. MB) | (4%: | Liberty rides and drives which at once reveals its quality. As a result, it is an interesting fact that a great many Liberty sales are closed in the first fifteen minutes of demonstration. People are always attracted to the Liberty by the individual beauty of its design; and still further interested by the good things they hear of it from owners. What they have seen, and heard, has bred a friendly feeling for the quality of the car, which is intensified in that first ride, and grows stronger and deeper with every day's experience. We dare say that no car has ever won among its owners— from the very first—a larger proportion of warm friends; or ever received such wonderfully kind letters from so many of them. So You WKITE FoR THE ; 1 surrose you just Live Liberty Motor Car Company, Detroit MY, NO! THEY ARE FAR Too Hawaii for rest and recuperation, yet it no good reason that we have ever been is impossible to bring them here. supplied with why passengers should not Another crying injustice to Hawaii is travel freely between the United States the regulation which requires a passen ports of San Francisco and Honolulu. It ger to Hawaii to obtain a permit before is discrimination of the worst kind > Nid - sailing from San Francisco. This is only If there is anything that you can do to obtained after several hours of waiting help this situation we will certainly ap- arey on | in line, and if one admits that he is go- preciate it Yours tr ing to Hawaii for health or pleasure, the Freo J. Haron, London zy ton permit is refused. There is absolutely no Secretary of the Hawaiian Promotion excuse for this imposition, inasmuch as Committee. one can travel freely between any other Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands, U.S. ¢ two cities in the United States. There is February 5, 1919. comicbooks.com