Life, 1920-02-12 · page 8 of 44
Life — February 12, 1920 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The essay argues that authority is necessary for society to function—jobs require direction, and liberty depends on order. The author defends British imperial rule, particularly in India, claiming it maintains peace among diverse populations that would otherwise fight each other. He argues the British Empire benefits India's 300+ million people, and that only about 50 million British people govern these territories. The illustration shows a figure in ornate dress (likely representing India or an Indian subject) standing passively. The essay's tone suggests this is pro-imperialist propaganda justifying colonial control as benevolent governance rather than exploitation—a common argument made during the early 20th century to defend British imperial expansion.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
260 Authority LOT get rid of bosses. prevent Germany from be ig a world-boss. “LIFE: f pains has been taken in the last five years to The chief end of the war was to The chief aim of Mr. Wilson in the Peace Congress was to pre- vent unwilling countries from being ligger ones. hossed by The chief aim of the opposition to the Treaty in the Senate was to put an end to the boss-ship of Mr. Wilson in the States. suit. the The evitable state of man taste. necessary and seems to be a condition of fighting the boss. Per- haps the equilibrium of human life is Wherever authority alights, there opposition centres. In small things and great, in the family, in the business office, in the state, that is the so maintained. rule. Authority holds people wn to their job, and the people so held are naturally and inevitably a ast at workers go on, and the job gets done ree agai succeeds when the It fails when the workers revolt and had rather for, to the authority. There must be without it the Also be liberty. 9 the job than su! authority, 1 jobs cannot be without it there cannot Authority does more than Id the workers to the jot because It pro- tects them from outside interference It keeps the Romana from one another. peace. The pax kept by authority, British rule in Ini the same order. It has kept t and was peace © peoples of India from spending their strength fighting another, d has made it possible for produc- one tion to go on in that big country on a scale approximately proportionate to the needs of its huge population. It exists only by sufferance; only he- cause the peoples concerned cannot, or will not, unite to terminate it Whenever they do so unite, the British They could not conquer a united India that had made up its mind to be rid of them, The Almanac says the population of the British Empire is thirty-five millions. will have to move out. and probably they would not try. four hundred and Great Britain is general manager for that many people. and gives them the authority that keeps them going, but it does it only hy their consent. There are only about fifty million people in the British Isles, and of these over four million Irish are working overtime just now to blow United Examples may be multiplied to in- their British lid off, and are an anxiet and expense to the E The rest of the British are not enough to man age themselves and four hundred mil- lion other people unless they do it so much to the satisfaction of the other people that their rule is acceptable. They do it by contriving that the other people shall be self-governing as far as nd that the British Empire shall be a tie to keep them working in harmony with one another. possible, The coming world, which has so busy upsetting its bosses, has to have authority, There must be | ple to make plans, give orders and have the them carried out. Any other method is anarchy and anarcl power to get is very trying, and m feet, bare hacks and em The to the world the power to get al The most it has s¢ for cold stomachs, war has not secur without bosses. cured it is the chance to say who comicbooks.com