Life, 1920-02-26 · page 3 of 40
Life — February 26, 1920 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **United States Tires advertisement**, not a satirical cartoon. The page (from *Life* magazine, page 347) is a full-page corporate ad for United States Rubber Company. The ad addresses **post-World War I economic conditions**, specifically a tire shortage anticipated for 1920. It references the automobile industry's explosive growth and claims that despite nearly 8 million vehicle registrations expected, there will be insufficient tires available—a scarcity problem the company acknowledges but frames as temporary. The advertisement argues that U.S. Tires' size and established reputation ("oldest and largest Rubber Organization in the World") position it to meet future demand responsibly, prioritizing quality over forced production during shortage conditions. There are no political cartoons on this page—it's purely commercial messaging addressing contemporary supply-chain concerns.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
United States Tires are Good Tires United States Tires are Good Tires How is this Year Different from Past Years in the History of Motor Transportation ‘OU men who have watched the development of the auto- mobile industry from the begin- ning remember how it used to be five or six years ago. Some manufacturer an- nounced a production of 5,000 cars for the coming year and everybody pitied him. Registrations had already reached three millions. o 0 0 The short sighted dealer shook his head and said it couldn't last. He hurried to get his orders in and his cars out before it was too late. — ry Everything hinged on quick deliveries. It is different today. With nearly 8,000,000 regis- tration ahead for the year 1920, we see the industry still in its infancy. There can be no point of satu- ration short of the transporta- tion needs of the country. oo 0 What are the transportation needs of America — passenger and freight—and when will they be met? That is a question our chil- dren’s grandchildren will still be asking. So, with motor vehicles as with tires, there will be no limit to the demand for the most fit. For example—today there is no scarcity of tires. You see no cars laid up for want of tires. There is a scarcity of U.S. Tires. o 0 Oo This company with its enor- mous stake—the largest in the industry —is taking the long view—the sound, constructive view. We are building and equip- ping for greater capacity, but placing responsibility for qual- ity above the temptation of forced production. When we have doubled and trebled our facilities, there will still be a scarcity of U. S. Tires. United States Tires United States Rubber Company The oldest and largest Rubber Organization in the World Fifty-Three Factories Two hundred and thirty-five branches comicbooks.com