Life, 1919-05-08 · page 23 of 46
Life — May 8, 1919 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon depicts a bloated, disheveled figure labeled "AND YET PEOPLE WONDER AT CRIME"—likely representing either bureaucratic corruption or the chaos of post-WWI government. The figure is surrounded by scattered papers, expense vouchers, and official documents, suggesting wasteful spending or administrative disorder. The accompanying text discusses President Wilson's cabinet members, particularly Ambassador Page's resignation from Italy and Secretary Baker's continuing work. The article suggests these officials are exhausted after four years of wartime service but feel obligated to remain. The satirical point: despite government incompetence and disorder (visualized in the cartoon's chaos), citizens somehow express shock at crime and corruption. The implication is that such malfeasance inevitably results from the mess of postwar governance. The cartoon mocks the public's naive surprise at misconduct arising from obvious systemic dysfunction.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ANb YET PEOPLE nominate new presidential candidates, and into that year must be compressed a formidable amount of every kind of work, including legis Let Congress be thankful for such va cation as it has had. Let Mr. Wilson be thankful for all the v ket, if he gets any. It is a tired world, ation he may and lots to do. ON is ready to give M*: BURL up the cables, and has recom- ay 1d Burlesee WONDER AT CRIME mended to the President to turn them back. Ha letting go, let us all hope he will keep made this beginning of on and relingwtish presently the tele- phones and telegraphs, as he now pro- poses, and, in due time, the post office He has replied to the complaints tha have heen made of him, but not in a way to upset the impression that he is no longer cither profitable or pleasant as a public official. The papers seem to think that Mr Page, our Ambassador to Italy, has re signed, and they impute to him dissat Mr. Wilson's That he has resigned isfaction with attitude towards Italy. is probable, for he has been in Maly+ five years, and would naturally want 803 to come home. And possibly he thinks hetter of Italy's claim to Fiume than Mr. Wilson does, but being a diplomat of some experience, he is not likely to lave said so, Pretty much all Mr. Wilson’s leading assistants in government have shown, or begin to show, signs of having had cnough, Few got out of office at the natural time when his second term be- gan, because the war was on, but now Baker's work will not be done for many months yet, and he will probably stick to it. Mr, Dan- iels probably enjoys his place and its they are going. Mr stinguished labors, and will adhere to mntil the end. Other members of the ine and Mr. Houston, may ned to stick to the machine of which they are a part, as long as Mr, Wilson needs them. But they have all had hard work and plenty of it, and it is surmisable that private life looks x to most of them as » who has Jived ar for rest does to every ud breathed and worked the four years and a hali interesting than it would have L's peen a year ago is the proposed trial, hy the five Powers, of the ex- Kaiser, “not for an offense ainst criminal law, but for a supreme offense the st in the in international morality and of treaties.” J has sanctity late Kaiser waned much. Doubtless made o very disposition must be nd Holland relieved of the charge of him, and perhaps what- with him will be iormally and properly done if directed some him ever is done nore hy a high court. It seems a great deal trouble to take with a down-and- eut man who has had far too much advertisement already, but possibly, in © interests of international morality, it may be worth while. ‘The proposal to try and punish “ per- ons accused of having exercised acts in violation of the laws and customs i war” will have the sympathy of decent people, but will be hard to carry out iven though the German Gov- ernment may sign an undertaking to furnish all information necessary to find and try offenders, it will he very dificult to make it do so. comicbooks.com