Life, 1921-07-21 · page 31 of 34
Life — July 21, 1921 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily an **advertisement for American shipping services**, not political satire. The page promotes the U.S. Shipping Board's merchant marine operations. The dark engraving at top appears to depict a **historical naval battle scene**, likely meant to evoke Revolutionary War or early American maritime heroism. The quoted phrase—"I have not yet begun to fight"—is attributed to John Paul Jones, the Revolutionary naval commander, establishing a patriotic historical reference. The advertisement uses this patriotic imagery strategically: it frames American commercial shipping as a continuation of the founders' legacy, arguing that maintaining a strong merchant marine serves both economic and nationalist purposes. The rhetoric emphasizes carrying American goods and "ideals" globally. For modern readers: this represents **wartime or post-WWI patriotic marketing**, when governments actively promoted domestic shipping industries as matters of national security and pride, not merely commerce. The fusion of Revolutionary history with commercial promotion reflects early-20th-century American nationalism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
U.S. Man Stuns | Os Inc. 45 Broadway Ship and Sail in American Ships Your American Merchant Marine offers you fast, luxuriously appointed modern steamships with metropolitan hotel serv- ice of the highest type, affording the traveler every refinement, comfort and convenience. A freight and shipping service for the American exporter and importer, excep- tional in speed, reliability and safety to all parts of the world. See daily papers for schedule of sailing dates, ports of call, lists, etc.: “I have not yet begun to fight” Tae spirit that animated our fore- fathers in the glorious upbuilding of our Nation on the seas bespoke even in those early days an appreciation of the vital necessity of an American Merchant Marine. Our heritage of such patriotic sac- rifices to establish for all time a far reaching arm of commerce and good will; to carry to the nations of the world the products of our fields and factories together with the spirit of American Ideals, demands of our citizenry that these noble efforts shall not have been made in vain. EXPRESS, PASSENGER and FREIGHT SERVICES To Europe Tue — 7 k Cy few Yor! Bldg., Seatrle, Wash. 17 State Street York City LC. Smith To the Orient & Honolulu oAdlantic -Pacific Coastwise To Fapan, China, Manila » San Fi South Gay St., Baltimore, Paciric Mat S. S. Co. 10 Hanover Square, Belot Gy 621 Market St., San Francisco, 67 Wall St., FOR OTHER FREIGHT AND PASSENGER SERVICES, WRITE DEPARTMENT OF OPERATIONS US. 5. SHIPP G BQ To South cAmerica Muweon Steamsnir Lint ‘NewYork City D comicbooks.com