Life — October 23, 1919 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Some Open Letters" — Life Magazine Satire This page features three satirical open letters addressed to public figures: 1. **To Judge E. H. Gary**: Praises him for running his business without "wild asses" (labor unions) interfering, calling his anti-union stance a "remarkable achievement" against "anarchy and bloodshed." 2. **To King Albert of Belgium**: Congratulates him on being a king during uncertain times, noting monarchs face elimination—a dark joke about royal obsolescence. 3. **To Gabriele d'Annunzio**: Sarcastically criticizes the Italian military adventurer for disrupting armies and "discomfiting the Allies," mockingly warning that Fanny will "grab New York" from Hearst. The accompanying illustration shows a man felling a massive oak tree, quoting Henry VI—likely symbolizing destruction of established order. The cartoons employ heavy irony to critique labor suppression, militarism, and political adventurism.