Life, 1919-06-05 · page 29 of 46
Life — June 5, 1919 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This 1919 *Life* magazine page satirizes post-WWI violence and political dysfunction through dark humor. **"Fourteen Points in Shooting a Man"** mocks how different regions/nations rationalize killing. References include: - **Château-Thierry** (WWI battle where Germans surrendered, shouting "Kamerad!") - **Villa** (Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa) - **Home Rule** (Irish independence movement) - **Amerongen** (likely the Netherlands, where the German Kaiser fled) The joke: each location has its own absurd *excuse* for murder, culminating in America's grim punchline—taxation as slow death. **"Labor and Capital" cartoons** show pre- and post-"millennium" (likely referring to anticipated social change). The contrast suggests labor-capital conflict persists despite promised transformation. The opening exchange about Willie Mars staying for the Peace Conference satirizes politicians delaying homecoming to attend post-war negotiations—suggesting their involvement is performative rather than essential. Overall: cynical commentary on post-war violence, corruption, and failed peace-building promises.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
illie Mars: Ma, WHY bol Mrs. Mars: YES, SO Obsolete \OTHER old phrase long grown stale it saying, “As slow as a snail.” ‘hen we now wish to show ita thing is dead slow, It's as slow as the mail.” » Fourteen Points in Shooting a Man s Practiced in Different Places Texas they shoot you, then ask ur name. New York they shoot you, then home their wife, with whom you een dining. Chicago they shoot you to reveal nadequacy of the police force. PA COME HOME? THE WAR'S OVER. } BUT HE STAYED OVER TO ATTEND THE PEACE CONFERENCE. 997 In Arizona they shoot you to test their new “ shooting irons.” In Kansas City they hold you up, take your money, and then shoot you, so you won't tell. At Chateau-Thierry they shot you, then cried “ Kamerad!” y shoot you to convert im. In Germany they shoot each other through force of habit. In Mexico they shoot you to blame it on Villa. In Ireland they shoot you to demon- strate the value of Home Rule. In California they shoot you, then throw you off a cliff into the ocean; you are picked up by a submarine, shot through the tube in an airplane, and must be home in twenty minutes to change your clothes for another scene—in the movies. In South America, in the revolutions, they shoot you if you are a general; if a private, they don’t bother, as there are so few of them. In Amerongen they let wood a while before shooting you. In the United States, in general, they don’t shoot you at all; they merely tax you to death. you saw “LD)O you approve of everything that is being done?” “Not quite. For example, I believe in government-controlled Presidents.” happiness depended on being with interesting folks, how little happi- ness most of us would have, LABOR AND CAPITAL FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THE MILLENNIUM AND FIVE MINUTES AFTER comicbooks.com