Life, 1919-04-24 · page 29 of 46
Life — April 24, 1919 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical political fantasy titled "Nowhere Forever!" The premise mocks bureaucratic incompetence: the fictional Kingdom of Nowhere is built on selecting *incompetent* officials, but competent men keep accidentally getting hired anyway, threatening the kingdom's entire identity. The top illustration shows a "Woman-Haters" parade—likely referencing a contemporary club or social organization. The bottom illustration, captioned "Their Misrepresentative in Congress," depicts what appears to be a Congressional scene with a single figure (presumably a woman) among male politicians. This satirizes the absurdity of women's representation in government—treating a woman in Congress as a comedic anomaly, much like competent people in the "Kingdom of Nowhere." The satire targets both governmental inefficiency and, likely, resistance to women's political participation, presenting both as laughably contradictory to institutional expectations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Nowhere Forever ! great Kingdom of Nowhere + cated between the Hitherward ns and the Thitherward chain morning the great King of No. sat in his private office. He wa i iously approached, in accordance his exalted position, by the C. C otherwise and more coarsely as the chief cook and bottle: dear Sire,” y closing the door, “1 have of the utmost importance to dis: lo yout. Prepare yourself for a shock. 1 have of competent men.” discovered sid COC BW, 1 a WOMAN HATERS “Competent men! Where? Surely not about me The CC. BW “Yes, Sire, 1 greatly nodded briskly fear it is so. They are the heads of departments.” “This is bad news. Where did they Did / hire them? know they are competent?” come from? How Sire, itis a long story: but you did hire them, and they are com petent.” “Impossible! Why, if they are per- mitted to remain this will no longer be Nowhere; it will be Kingdom of Some- the Kingdom of merged into the where.” ” Exactly why 1 brought this vital problem to your at- tention That is have The fact is, Sire, that. no mat- THEIR MISKEPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS ter how careful we may he always to select incompetent men, competent ones are sure to creep in onus. A man may start off incompetent, and we may he delighted with him, and then he may suddenly develop ce vetence.” But, my dear fellow, you alarm me break my greatly. To wish wouldn't this you news to me so brusquely; nerves are not what they were. Come! Come! You must have a remedy.” “T have!” “Out with it” “It is done by the wonderful law of antithesis.” ” Antithesis! My! What does it mean?” “It means that this being the That is a large word King- dom of Nowhere. if we are to preserve comicbooks.com