Life, 1926-07-01 · page 9 of 40
Life — July 1, 1926 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces critiquing American society during what appears to be the WWI era: **"Strictly Loyal Chant"** mocks patriotic fervor by having "Simonella" praise the country while admitting it's corrupt ("fake and hollow," "no worthy men to follow"). **"National Defense"** sarcastically catalogs military staffing needs, listing increasingly absurd requirements (officers, manufacturers of poison gas, corned beef, TNT, steel, copper, aluminum, cigarettes, cloth). **"The Banishing Americans"** cartoon depicts wealthy industrialists or politicians on a ship, suggesting they're literally abandoning America. The lower cartoon shows street laborers in an overloaded truck, captioned with dialogue questioning whether "everybody in this country is 100% American"—highlighting the hypocrisy of patriotic demands placed on working-class immigrants while elites avoid sacrifice.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Strictly Loyal Chant qPHis country is a land of sin, I like it. It Jets too many I love it. It tells us what to swallow, Its government is fake and hollow, It las no worthy men to follow,— I'm crazy about it! Simonetta. aliens in, drink and National Defense E’ ERY captain, lieutenant, and second lieutenant (out of a job) knows we need at least one hundred more enlisted men in the United States Army. Every colonel, lieutenant colonel, and major (out of a job) knows we need at least one thousand more, Every major general, brigadier general, and lieutenant-general (out of « job) knows we need from ten to five hundred thousand more. Every manufacturer of poison gas, canued corned beef, TNT, steel, copper, aluminum, cigarettes and army clothes knows we need at least ten million more—to protect that grand old flag. A, Eaton. Overheard on the Street Boss (to gang of street laborers loafing on the job): Hey, youse, suap out of it! What d’ ye think y are—a bunch o’ champeen_ prize- fighters? THE BANISHING AMERICANS Big Chief Kleagle: 1t’s YOUR GOIN’S-ON WITH Q TUDE IN TIS COUNTRY. © USE ARGUIN’, COLUMBUS. ISABELLA, AND WE R HEARD ABOUT ON’? WANT NO MORAL TURPI- ANYWAY, THE QUOTA’S FULL UP. The Flag Passes +OUR men in the front row of the throng at the curb whipped off their hats with a mighty cheer. The first one had made millions out of the manufacture of pasteboard shoes for soldiers in the war. The second had had influence at Washington and had obtained commissions and home assignments for his three sons. The third had cheated the Govern- ment to the amount of $40,000.00 in his income tax return in 1 The fourth had dispossessed an in- tated soldier's family from one of his tenements. All four turned to glare and mut- ter savagely about patriotism at an emaciated young man whose hat was still on his head. He had lost one arm and suffered paralysis in the other in the Argonne. CE. Blown in the Bottle “TS he a one-hundred-per-cent. American?” “Sure, He'll drink anything.” “Is EVERYBODY IN THIS COUNTRY 100% AMERICAN, MOTHER?” “WHY, OF COURSE NOT, CHILD. SOMEBODY HAS TO DO TIE WORK.” comicbooks.com