Life, 1921-12-15 · page 13 of 34
Life — December 15, 1921 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"A Turkish Election"** (top): A satirical poem by Arthur Guiterman mocking electoral corruption in Turkey under Abdullah the Uproarious. The verse describes vote-buying through bribes ("drinks at one denarius"), intimidation ("rowdy partisans"), and violence ("harem vote he trotted out"). The accompanying illustration shows a tall official confronting children, likely depicting the absurdity of this chaotic electoral process. The satire critiques both Turkish governance and implicitly contemporary political corruption. **"Self-Evident"** (bottom): A comic strip titled "A Hard Shell Never Gives" shows a mouse struggling with an egg or shell. The dialogue references Santa Claus and Otto Kahn (a real banker), suggesting wordplay about hardship and economic concerns, though the exact joke remains unclear from context alone.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Turkish Election MONG the femininity As well as masculinity Of Istambul’s vicinity Was tumult and hurrah; Abdullah the Uproarious And one more meritorious, Mohammed, called “the Glorious,” Were running for Pasha. Abdullah’s wiles were various; With drinks at one denarius Ile made the mob hilarious; Ile purchased votes in shoals. Ile roused his rowdy partisans From donjon keeps and bartizans; lhey rounded up the artisans \nd drove them to the polls. SSS BORN Sv Mohammed held such knavery l)eplorably unsavory ; lic smiled in simple bravery, \nd close to six o'clock, \\hen every hope seemed blotted out, districts neatly plotted out, ‘The harem vote he trotted out \nd potted it en bloc. ‘Ten thousand men with scimiters \nd crimson-sashed perimeters, letrameters and trimeters, Commingled in the cry: “This man will get the dross for us! Ilis brain is rich in phosphorus ! Mohammed is the boss for us Till Bosphorus runs dry!” Arthur. Guiterman. Self-Evident ~ TORTH: Dobbs is celebrating the “ "15 N RIM: Dobbs is celebrating: the “Mr. P'liceman, can you tell us where Mr. Santa Claus lives?” 4 arrival of a new baby at his _ house. Nortin: Did you take a vacation “Wuo's going to look after this West: That so? How many chil- this year? country while young Rockefeller is in Iren has he? West: No. I took a two-weeks’ China?” didn’t I say he is celebrating?” trip in a Ford. “Otto Kahn.” A Hard Shell Never Gives comicbooks.com