Life — January 8, 1920 — page 40: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page mixes **advertisements** with a **political cartoon**. **Top advertisements:** Hotels (The Hollenden in Cleveland) and a beverage product called "Appli" are promoted as premium goods. **Main cartoon** (bottom right, titled "Under the Present Régime"): Shows someone calling police about a burglar, sarcastically asking if officers can arrest the criminal without him escaping—or should the caller just bring the burglar in themselves. This is **satire on police incompetence**, suggesting law enforcement of the era (appears to be 1920s-30s based on style) was so ineffective that citizens couldn't rely on them to successfully jail criminals. The joke critiques widespread concerns about corruption, inefficiency, or inability of police to handle basic law enforcement duties. **Additional ads:** Maillard Cocoa and Chocolate Confections (established 1848) at Fifth Avenue, New York.