Life, 1920-06-10 · page 13 of 44
Life — June 10, 1920 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Main Cartoon ("Ode in a Protesting Manner"):** This satirical poem protests post-WWI conditions, mocking the abandonment of classical values and gods. It critiques the shift toward materialism ("tobacco and the kiss"), the death of idealism ("Bacchus is dead"), and war's brutality. The accompanying illustration shows a man in military uniform confronting serpent-like creatures—likely representing war, chaos, or social corruption—among dead trees and barren landscape. The satire protests what the poet sees as civilization's moral decay following the war. **Lower Section:** "Movie Stunts" features a comedic illustration about film stunt direction, while "How Prepared Statements Originated" is a short prose piece satirizing corporate bureaucracy—specifically how a bank cashier's promotion to vice-president led him to communicate only through prepared statements rather than direct conversation, revealing institutional absurdity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Ode in a Protesting Manner , Placed on Kissing, Now that War Is Over —Headline. AN kissing! More! (proceeds the printed page) Now war has ceased to rage, Strained Nature’s fond excuse Ceases to be—and with the purple juice, The brimming goblet, Cupid's favored use Must hie to the discard Where whilom gracious gods lie, battered shard on shard. ! For what dire deeds and edicts fell 1 responsible! How, following in thy train Of slaughter, as the dolphins through the main Pursue the ship, come stalking bane on bane— i-that-and-this ious wine, and now tobacco and the Bacchus is dead; his haunts know him no more: es are stricken sore. | then these mad decrees « the protesting Venus to her knees, a kiss as one with memories, e be bound by rule, And lovers sternly chid, like little boys in school ? heart! These moods are but the winds Mt pass, A rustling in the grass. While yet the fruitful vine Puts forth her grapes, man somewhere shall make wine ; While yet Dan Cupid speeds his shaft divine The lovers’ kiss shall be— Prohibit as ye will, behold Dame Nature free! F. Gregory Hartswick. O f of a job to-day—the man who can't get and the man who can, MOVIE STUNTS Director (far off in foreground): NAW! NAW! NAW! stick youR ARM DOWN HIS THROAT! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE NUT YOURSELF! NOW THEN, CAMERA, SHooT! How Prepared Statements Originated “THERE was a man in Wall Street, employed as_ thirty-second assistant cashier in a bank. It took the bank directors several weeks to discover who was talking to the financial reporters about certain things supposed to be known only to insiders. Upon learning his identity the directors immediately advanced him to cashier, on the theory that his new responsibilities would preclude his conversing with outsiders on important matters. But it didn’t work. The cashier was ina more favorable position to relay important things to the finan- cial scribes. He was promoted to a vice-presidency. He talked louder and more frequcntly. In desperation the bank directors made him president of the insti- tution. It worked wonders. He stopped talking. Thereafter he spoke ‘oung Oculist: YOUR EYES SEEM TO BF ALL RIGHT, BUT You'D BETTER COME IN TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK AND LEf ME EXAMINE THEM, YOU NEVER CAN TELL WHAT WILL DEVELOP windy, they revealed nothing disturbing. only through prepared statements, and while they were long and comicbooks.com