Life — February 9, 1922 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Custom Is King" by A. P. Herbert This satirical story mocks bureaucratic rigidity. An English author's illustrated book was sent to an American publisher, who shipped the drawings to England for return. The package got caught in customs red tape: the Examiner demanded a six-month bond before releasing it, citing regulations about "value." The Publisher protested the drawings were worthless as illustrations—they had no independent value. The Examiner skeptically replied they might be valuable anyway, so the bond stood. The accompanying cartoon shows dogs, with the caption referencing "Mrs. Boston Terrier's new pups were all born without corkscrew tails"—likely mocking prohibition's unintended consequences. The satire targets mindless adherence to rules regardless of practical reality.