Life, 1920-01-01 · page 16 of 48
Life — January 1, 1920 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"The Soldier"** is a satirical poem mocking military recruitment and discipline. It describes a physically unsuitable man ("little," "ugly," "waddled like a duck") who cannot shoot, ride, or fight—yet is deemed perfect for one ambition: "to be a Soldier." The verses detail his brutal training and eventual death on the "Border" (likely the Mexican border, referencing early 1900s conflicts). The satire critiques how armies accept and sacrifice the unfit, while the accompanying illustrations show military officers and a common soldier. **"Engaged"** presents a workplace joke: a prospective employee cannot start work tomorrow because he must participate in a "Demonstration of Protest of the Unemployed." The humor lies in the irony—he's refusing employment to protest unemployment. The bottom illustration shows an officer attempting to arrest a man for "thinking of beer," mocking both police overreach and working-class concerns of the era. Both pieces satirize early 20th-century social anxieties: militarism, labor unrest, and class tension.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Che Soldier And he waddled like Oh, we drilled him And the curs Would have stretched another Oh, we lammed him and we s And the reckless way we d. Would have made a less deter ppened on the Borde And the Mexes all were d Indian, and went ed With Honors 2 Galahad. Engaged ELL, come down to the shop to-morrow morning and I will put you to work.” “To-morrow? 1 could bly come until the day after.” Why?” “OFFICER, ARREST THAT MAN! TIE SEFMS TO RE THINKING “Why, to-morrow T must take par oF D stration of Protest of the Unemp comicbooks.com