Life, 1921-03-10 · page 12 of 36
Life — March 10, 1921 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct pieces of satirical content about post-WWI social issues: **"Victory Crowned His Efforts"** criticizes the bureaucratic treatment of a former serviceman seeking war compensation. The absurdist humor comes from receiving 127+ letters about his claim while receiving no actual resolution—reflecting real frustrations with veterans' benefits administration after World War I. **"Where the Monkey Got His Perhaps"** mocks inherited class pretension through a child's observation that a poor boy lacks the physical characteristics (Barr nose, eyes) of the wealthy family he claims relation to. **"First Lesson" and "De Trop"** are brief humorous dialogues about children and servants, typical of Life's satirical commentary on everyday social hierarchies. The large illustration labeled "Monday Following Blue Sunday" depicts urban chaos, likely referencing Prohibition enforcement or post-war social disorder, though the specific event remains unclear from context.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Lovers OD could not fill all places; so he made Lovers to wander in the April shade; Lovers to comrade with the nesting birds; Lovers to build the happy words; home with Lovers to speak the one immortal tongue ; Lovers to keep the world forever young; Lovers to dream of what the world shall be When God shall fill it as one soundi sea! Edwin Markham. Victory Crowned His Efforts 'HE former ‘service man sat looking at a large stack of papers, consisting of: Twenty-seven letters from the War Risk Burcau, each one setting forth a new ruling to overrule the last ruling re- garding his insurance. Seventeen letters informing him how to apply for compensation. Twenty-two letters informing him that his claim had been received Thirty-five letters asking for a kind of affidavit Twenty-two letters advising him that the Board was going through his record. Fourteen if he could new letters asking swear that all the previous ones had been sworn to, Eighteen letters advising him to make an application for a new examination, Sixteen letters requesting him to swear that he was his mother’s son. Twenty-six letters suggesting the ad- vantages of Vocational Training. Sixty from the Vocational Board tellitig him that his case was being looked into. Thirty informing him that his case had been looked into. Forty that his case still considered. was being Ten acquainting him with the fact that he would be granted compensation if he could furnish the necessary proof that he served in the army. Three stating that he would be advised later regarding the advice contained in the last letter. He was out of work, without funds, so his only diversion was looking through the sheaf of “promissory notes.” Hope had long since grown tired of buoying him up; then one day the post- man rang, bringing him a Victory Medal. “Now I should worry,” he thought. “Hot dog! This medal will make an ex- cellent paper weight to keep this pile to- gether.” MONDAY FOLLOWING BLUE SUNDAY, Where the Monkey Got His, A Perhaps VISITING relative who was having her first view of the small boy of four, was commenting in the usual fashion on his resemblance to different lines in his family. “He has the Barr eyes,” “and the Barr nose, but I where he gets his mouth,” The next day a member of the house- hold was startled to overhear the sinall boy saying soberly to his kitten: “ Kitty, you have the Barr nose, and the Barr eyes, but I don’t see where you get your tail!” First Lesson ‘WO little kids were in swimming. One thrashed about wildly, but made little progress. “Hey, Jimmi shouted the other, “keep yer fingers together when yc're swimmir’, Ye wouldn't eat soup wit a fork, would yer?” De Trop GATHA: Is your former cook hap- py since she inherited a fortune? Acnes: No, she’s all dressed up and no place to leave. she said, don’t see comicbooks.com