Life, 1920-09-16 · page 17 of 44
Life — September 16, 1920 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The page contains two distinct pieces: **Top Cartoon - "Not the Same Thing":** A courtroom scene depicting a lawyer questioning a Black witness about vocabulary. The lawyer asks if the witness knows what "long words" mean, specifically requesting the difference between "also" and "likewise." The witness responds affirmatively, then the lawyer notes that Judge Jones is "a notable lawyer" who is "also not likewise"—a nonsensical, patronizing exchange. This is racial satire mocking the courtroom's condescension toward a Black witness, treating him as intellectually inferior while using deliberately absurd logic to humiliate him. **"A New Lorelei Lyric":** A poem about suddenly taking up yachting, with the punchline suggesting the speaker wants to escape to international waters (beyond the three-mile limit) to avoid legal jurisdiction—likely referencing Prohibition-era bootlegging or tax evasion. **"How It Will Be Told":** Commentary on postwar European attitudes toward American soldiers, suggesting Americans' wartime heroism would be forgotten and their reputation would decline.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Lawyer: Lawyer: Colored Witness A New Lorelei Lyric FORE this year I never cared for yachting ; I couldn't act as skipper for a skiff or for a scow; But in the present season, B! For a very urgent reason, I'm embracing each occasion to learn how. Now I positively hanker for the hoisting of an anchor; With a billow for a pillow and the sheet up overhead, I can tell you from the feeling lf I'm “tacking” or I'm “ heelii It’s absurd that I’ve preferred the land instead! 1 can name you all the spars; 1 can pilot by the stars, And the deadly mal-de-mer never makes me turn a hair. YOU ARE ALWAYS USING LONG Worbs. THEN TELL ME THE DIFFERE. WELL, SUH, JEDGE JOD NOT THE SAME THING Colored Witness: yes, sun. FE BETWEEN THE WORDS S AM A NOTABLE LAWYE LIKEWISE, The farther from the shore, 1 like it all the more, Though there may be vicious sharks or fishes there. There's a simple explanation of my craze ion, Which the merest of the lubbers will be quick to understand: Out beyond the three-mile limit— Just a bit too far to swim it— 1 can reach a schooner sooner than on land. Perry Ivins. How It Will Be Told ETURNIN that folks in Europe have pretty gener- ally forgotten that the A. E. F, ever came over there. That's quite natural and all right. The sentiment of enthusiasm in Europe for the United States was necessarily un- stable, and its early passing should not be regretted. travelers report DO YOU KNOW WIRAT THOSE WORDS MEAN? LIKewIse.” IS ALSO NOT AND “ Now yot ity we should have slumped so in the reorganization of the world, but it was quite hopeless to try to live up to the reputation our armies had won for us on Armistice day, and the sooner our repu- tation was adjusted to our merits and means, the better, It will say that the United States did magnifi- History will take care of us. cently in the Great War what was asked of it; that afterwards Lodge, inheriting the virulent T. R. jealousy of Wilson's accomplishment, was able with the help of Johnson and Borah to destroy for a time the Democratic leadership, and sus- pend proceedings. But that by too liberal use of the said J. and B., he destroyed his own party’s prospects and lost the election; whereupon the usefulness of the U. S. to Europe revived, and it was re- called again in France, and even in Eng- that turned up there opportunely in the year 1918. land, American armies had comicbooks.com