Life, 1919-08-28 · page 16 of 40
Life — August 28, 1919 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine satirizes how the press manufactures positive public images of government officials through selective anecdotes. The main article mocks a published story about Secretary of War Baker making a self-deprecating joke to a tall newspaper correspondent. The satire's point: this "charming" anecdote was crafted propaganda designed to make Baker appear humble and relatable—when really it merely demonstrates how the press shapes public opinion by circulating flattering stories about military leaders. The piece extends this critique to President Wilson, suggesting similar favorable narratives are being constructed around him (an expert anthropologist finds Wilson "humbly ready to learn"). **The cartoon** (top) depicts an Oriental potentate surrounded by courtiers and masses—a visual metaphor for autocratic power dressed up as benevolence. **The bottom cartoon** shows a city person skeptically examining grapes, humorously illustrating urban disconnect from rural authenticity—perhaps a related jab at urban elites' disconnect from reality. The overarching message: beware how press narratives manufacture consent for authority figures.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Courtier: THO “VPA, VERILY ! Press Stuff ASHINGTON, The longing of men to inherent short grow tall was laughabiy illustrated by Sec- While conference with the retary of War Baker to-day. on his way to z House Military Committee the Secre- tary met a newspaper correspondent, whose six feet and more towered above the Cabinet member. Glancing up with a humorous, half-wistful Secretary Baker said: expression, “Whenever I see a man of your size I always feel like asking, ‘How do you get that way?’” “It's a gift, Mr. Secretary,” replied the correspondent, whereupon the War Department executive burst forth into a hearty laugh and passed on. (Special to the New York Evening Post.) This hilarious an illustrates much more than “the inherent long- ing of short men to grow tall.” It the belief in’ the dote illustrates how inherent with its inherent press, jay- THE QUIET COUNTRY HAST INDEED A FINE COUNTRY PLACE hawkishness of the American people, goes about its task of shaping public opinion. In the above we are led to believe, subtly but effectively, that the head of the nation’s military affairs has an inherent sense of good, honest humor. It also. suggests the sound the War Department chief, for no man who was not closely in touch with the people would say, “How do you get that way?” But why stop with the military member of the Cabinet? democracy of A certain highly placed on occasion, cused of being something of a high- brow dignitary has, been the truth, as the following entertaining tit-bit from proves Wasuiy national le achievements, our own correspondent The fers, in TON. fact that great spite of their always humbly ready to learn more, was illustrated by President Wilson to-day in a most amusing manner. are The correspondent happened to be present while an expert Nothing could be further from’ HERE, BELSHAZZAR, AND IT IS MIGHTILY A RELIEF TO GET AWAY FROM THE CROWDS AND TURMOIL OF BABYLON was reading the Na- ecutive a report of the ethni- hnity of the Jugo-S Czecho-Slovaks. The report was very learned and lengthy. At the conclu- sion anthropologist tion's E cal avs and the with a quizzical twinkle in his the President, expression and a City Person (buying the country for picnic HOW AM J TO KNOW THEY'RE Suspicious grapes in party) FRESH ? comicbooks.conm