Life, 1920-09-09 · page 30 of 44
Life — September 9, 1920 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains several brief satirical jokes and an automobile advertisement. **The cartoons/jokes** mock contemporary social behavior: - "The Word of Promise" satirizes a shifty politician who's promised action but likely won't follow through—the joke being the ironic contradiction. - "Averaging Up" presents tourism commentary: Europe shifts between war and peace anxiety, suggesting perpetual instability. - "The Lie Direct" targets traveling salesmen's reputation for dishonesty; they allegedly never identify their next destination truthfully. - "Going the Pace" jokes about reckless motor-trip driving (sending a hospital postcard suggests crashes). - "Hardly Noticeable" features Uncle Sam observing weight gain, likely referencing American prosperity or expansion circa 1910-1920. **The advertisement** promotes a Locomobile luxury car from Hare's Motors, emphasizing elegance and pedigree. The overall tone reflects early 20th-century American anxieties about reliability, transportation, and social manners, with automobile culture emerging as a status symbol and source of comedic material.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘aig SCISSORS =} AUT NULLUS The Word of Promise A certain Minister of State, rather well known throughout this world for shiftiness, has pledged himself definitely to a certain course of action, and some honorable mem- bers were discussing the probability of his keeping his word. One with a pretty wit said: “I think he will, although he said he would,”—London Post. Averaging Up “Europe is not at all the same,” said one tourist. “Not at all,” echoed the other. “ For Zurope was on the verge of war, keeps lingering on the verze of peace."—Washington Star. “Wuere do you live in the city—close The Lie Direct It seems that in the ¢ profession there is an firmly established as certainly more so than a salesman never name of the next town | If one asks another where here, the other names a pretty likely not friends of “the road along the Ohio. “ Wherc asked one. “Oh, to Indianapolis, “You liar,” re damned well you're going Jianapolis, illager. Going the Pace “What kind of a time is he having on his motor trip?” “Guess he’s having a pretty lively time He sent me a picture postcard of a hospital in?” Wnuat a splendid history of Ireland wou! “Fairly so—thirty minutes on foot, fifteen HARDLY NOTICEABLE be told by the titles of the bills put forwan by motor car, twenty-five by street car and Uncle Som: wet, WELL, 1 Do BELIEVE for the pacification of its people! forty-five by telephone.”—Kansas City Star, YOU'RE GAINING A LITTLE WEIGHT —Sun and New York Herald. ive is published every Thursday, simultaneously in the United States, Great Britain, Canada and British Possessions, Title registered in U. S. Patent Office. $5.00 a year in advance, Additional postage to foreign countries in the Postal Union, $1.60 a year; to Canada, 80 cents. Single current copies, 15 cents. Back numbers, after three months from date of publication, 25 cents. Issues prior to 1910 out of print. The text and illustrations in Live are copyrighted. For Reprint Rights in Great Britain The foreign trade supplied from Live's London Office, Rolls House, Breams ings, London, E. C. Canadian distributor, J. R. Tanguay, 380-388 St. James Montreal, Canada, No contributions will be returned unless accompanied by stam, envelope. Lire does not hold itself responsible for the lois or licited contributions. Notice of change of address should reach this office two weeks prior to the date issue to be affected. apply to Live, Rolls House, Breams Buildings, Fetter Lane, London, E. C., CUSTOM BUILT LOCOMOBILE CABRIOLET Thanseending rower and qracefulness and fuide of fredigree HARE'S MOTORS, INC., NEW YORK CITY + We Shall Keep Faith- comicbooks.