Life, 1922-06-08 · page 14 of 34
Life — June 8, 1922 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains an article titled "Reinforcing the Bonds of Brotherhood" discussing American ignorance about English life conditions. The author argues American schools should teach more about England to combat mutual misunderstandings between the nations. The cartoon below depicts children at a beach finding what appears to be treasure or currency. One child says: "Say, Billy, it'll be a joke on us if the Ice Cream Parlor won't take Spanish Doubloons an' Pieces of Eight after we find 'em." The joke satirizes children's naive assumption that old foreign currency they've discovered would have modern purchasing power. It humorously illustrates the kind of ignorance the article warns against—reflecting broader themes about education gaps and practical understanding of how the world actually works.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE Reinforcing the Bonds of Brotherhood (Editor’s Note :—This is an article on the need for reinforcing the bonds of brotherhood.) OP HERE is an appalling amount of ignorance Ay among Americans as to the true conditions of le life in England. In fact, it is only equalled by the ignorance among Englishmen concerning the true conditions of life over here. We send our movies to Great Britain. They send their lecturers to the United States. And, as a result, there is a lamentable misunderstanding on both sides. If this misunderstanding is allowed to increase, who can tell the results? Who wants to? The remedy must be effected in the schools. The young idea must be taught to shoot his hands across the sea. He must learn that the old ‘erring pond isn’t so wide after all, particularly when measured in nautical miles. To do this, we should introduce courses into our schools that will give instruction on the native customs and lan- guage of England. The average American boy knows more about life in ancient Athens than he does about life in Liverpool. He can speak more fluently in German, French or even Latin than he can in English. And the same rule prevails on the other side of the ocean. Every American high school student should be com- pelled to pass a test like the following before he can receive . How many steps are there in Wapping-old-Stairs? . What is a Bath Bun? . Who is Horatio Bottomley? Why? . How do you pronounce the following words Cholmondeley ? secretary ? Irene? lieutenant ? Limmgwffymmlldnwgydd? 5. How many times has David Lloyd George's name ap- peared in the columns of the Northcliffe press? How many of these references have been complimentary? : 6. Translate the following passage: The navvy awoke at four and twenty min’ past seven, put on his high-boots, his vest, his br , his sock suspenders and his waistcoat, among other arti- cles of apparel. He then used the wash-hand-stand, lighted a fag with a Vesta, donned his bowler, and proceeded to the green grocer’s, where he purchased some stores, including beet-root, maize, treacle, tinned goods and biscuits. After which he walked for a bit along the footpath, passing a chemist’s, a draper’s shop, a fishmonger’s, not to mention a bobby, a bayman, a “Say, Billy, it'll be a joke on us if the Ice Cream Parlor won't take Spanish Doubloons an’ Pieces of Eight after we find ’em.” comicbooks.com