Life, 1924-12-25 · page 17 of 37
Life — December 25, 1924 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon depicts young street children in winter, gathered around a sparse, bare tree branch decorated as a Christmas tree. The caption reads: "The Young Showman: step right up, ladies an' gents, an' see de original merry christmas tree—only one penny, de tenth part of a dime!" **The satire:** A street child is entrepreneurially "selling" a view of this pathetic makeshift tree to other poor children—charging admission (one penny) to see what purports to be a "real" Christmas tree. This mocks both the desperation of poverty and the exploitation of the poor by those slightly less poor. It's a dark commentary on class economics and the degradation Christmas spirit undergoes in impoverished conditions. The irony is presenting this meager branch as an "original" attraction worthy of paid admission.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Eastman’s and Mr. Duke's benefactions look big in the headlines of the papers, but here's Uncle Sam spending for one thing or another thirty-seven hun- dred millions a year, about a third of which goes for preparations for pos- sible wars to come and obligations incurred by wars past. Besides all that there are vast expenditures of the states and the cities for education, roads, police, hospitals, lunatic asylums and Heaven knows what, all of which the taxpayers must meet. No wonder our frugal-minded President shakes in his shoes at the thought of our burdens. NOTHER thing, and one particu- larly fit to consider in this issue of Lire which carries the Christmas date line; while in this country what to do with money is so great a prob- lem, there is in other countries much perplexity to know where to get the money for the most essential uses. There is a negotiation going on just now for the eventual payment of the French debt to the United States, The disposition seems to be to make easy terms for France and we read of heart- burnings in England because of the possibility that the terms for France may be easier than the terms accepted for England and now in operation, A substantial fraction of the reparations that are to be squeezed out of Ger- many is claimed by the United States, and on indisputable grounds. To Eu- rope it looks painfully grasping for the United States to take any of that money. If we make easy terms for France, England will feel that in her case we have been extortionate. How are we going to get out of these dif- ficult situations without losing what- ever reputation we have left, if any, for fiscal magnanimity? Nobody but Congress can cancel debts due the United States. Nobody but Congress can amend the bargain with England and give her lower interest rates. What Congress will do about it is no better known to observers here than to ob- servers in Europe. The Congress that should naturally deal with such matters is not assembled yet and will not, under our present absurd system, be assem- bled for a year to come. Mr. Borah - LIFE - is right enough in saying that the Con- gress now sitting, and which has only two months to work in, will do best to devote itself to passing appropriation bills and attending to urgent domestic concerns, but how long can these debt negotiations be postponed? They can be postponed, one would say, until they can be settled to the satisfaction of every one who is en- titled to satisfaction, and that would include pretty much all the countries in Europe that owe us war debts. The United States is not and never has been impatient to collect those moneys. . To cancel the debts has not seemed expedi- ent. There were reasons for that and they have looked good. But neither is any urgency in collecting expedient For this world has not settled down yet. Far from it! There are great disturb- 15 ing forces working in Western Europe and in Asia which may have to be met by the same peoples who were allies in the World War. It is the concern of the United States that all of those nations should be nursed back to strength. It is concerned also that Middle Europe should get its legs again. As one looks ahead the great job in our world seems to be to strengthen the resources of Western civilization. That is important. That involves good will among the nations that Western civilization rests upon. Whether we collect more money or less money from Europe is of no great moment. Of much more concern is it to keep the confidence of every nation in the world whose good will makes for order and integrity. E. S. Martin, SEASONS COME AND SEASONS GO The Young Showman: step RIGHT UP, LADIES AN’ GENTS, AN’ SEE DE ORIGINAL MERRY CHRISTMAS TREE—ONLY ONE PENNY, DE TENTH PART OF A DIME! comicbooks.com