Life, 1924-04-10 · page 13 of 36
Life — April 10, 1924 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct satirical pieces: **"Ode to War"** (left): A poem mocking military recruitment and wartime propaganda, attacking the romanticization of war through references to "Walhalla," heroic sacrifice, and patriotic rhetoric. The author (Franklin C. Ellis) critiques how war is marketed to the public. **"Ten at a Time"** (below): A numbered satire suggesting humorous "solutions" to various international conflicts—"War with Mexico," "War with Germany," "War with England," etc.—each with absurdist remedies (send clothes, kids, overstock). This mockingly exposes how casually nations entertained war as policy. The bottom cartoon shows a dinner scene where a man thanks another for darling twins, with the punchline revealing one child is "Meaner's the other"—likely a separate domestic joke. These pieces collectively satirize both militarism and American international relations attitudes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
a Ode to War O Lire, beloved of Mars, bedecked with scars From brickbats flung by pushers for the Peace ! Horatius’ scion, who withstand the | Porsena of a warless world’s increase Broad-minded Journal, silk stocking ad- ars vertisers Will hasten to renew their full-page lease And scheme infernal army socks Visors In brave Walhalla raise salute (while Peter Is busy bidding S. R. O. to misers) I bring a bursting Shelley's well-timed meter, To fill your benefactious cup completer Make me the lips to whisper where the place is To find the man who's earned your em battled gold (For myself, 1 gently hint a commis- sion basis.) Repay the white-winged Ares who has doled His Cash to help the Cause to large di- mensions ; Heed the contestant not whose plan has told Of doubly death-distributing inven tions— War's simply Hells the winner's certain when The road to Hell is paved with good intentions! His sword’s a hundyed-thousand-dollar pen O Vital Sheet, your bellicose check be signed To Mr. Bok. meanwellfullest of men For Lire, when Peace has come, the well-meaning kind. Can War. big, better War, be far be- hind? Franky C. Ettis 122 Chestnut Street Springfield, Mass. Ten at a Time 1, War with Mexico: Get all our -writers busy and have them change the locale of their mammy’s knee to Mexico. The Mexicans will instantly become roused, for they are a senti mental people. War with Germany: Just keep on sending them old clothes. 3. War with England: Keep on kid ding them about the Prince of Wales’ coming down off his high horse 4. War with Russia: Keep on over feeding them. 5. War with Switzerland: Keep on yur neurasthenics to S: ar with France: La mark and kid the life out of the franc 7. War with Italy: Dispute the claim that America was discovered by Co: lumbus, Say it was the English lec turers. . 8. War with Spain: Deport all our (Continued on page 29) AY: And did you have a g: TO DO, STEAL 1 time on your camping trip? Fay Rather! First chance I ever had to complain cooking Wet George (after of my husbanc GEORGE, MOW'RE THE a bad 1 S MEANER'N My cust DARLING 1): THANK vou THE sik IMER OTHER comicbooks.com