Life, 1927-04-07 · page 12 of 59
Life — April 7, 1927 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes the destruction wrought by modern warfare, likely referencing World War I. The illustration shows a devastated landscape—shell craters, broken trees, debris, and military wreckage—viewed from above by aircraft. The caption's cheerful irony ("beautiful little planet for a picnic") contrasts sharply with the hellish scene below, mocking both the detachment of those directing warfare from above and the absurdity of romanticizing such destruction. The surrounding page content includes humorous pieces like "The Compleat Tourist" and war-related satire, typical of Life magazine's approach to contemporary issues through dark comedy during the World War I era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
D. 2027 “WASN'T THAT A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE PLANET FOR A PICNIC?” The Compleat Tourist E owns a full set of Bacdeker; His wardrobe includes a steam- er rug, a tropical helmet, a camping outfit and an alpenstock; He can tell you the principal streets of London, Paris, Berlin, Vi- enna, Naples and Constantinople; He knows the exact distance and traveling time from every place to every other place; He is up on the arrivals and sailings of all the transatlantic liners; And he hopes some day to be able to take that ex- cursion trip to Atlantic City, N. J. A Short Order GITATED CUS- TOMER: Gimme an ounce of cyanide! Sannwicu-C oun TER Dining Car Waiter: GEN’MAN WANTS PISH—AM DIS READY? “TENDERFEET, WON'T YOU LEARN? IT TOOK TWENTY MIN- UTES TO COOK DAT FISH AND HE’s GOT TO WAIT DAT LONG!” Drvcaist: Yes, sir; on white bread or rye? Overhead HAkvArD, America’s — richest university, has an annual budg- et of $8,000,000, the most part of that money being spent after football games for new goal posts. Revising the Army Song Book for the Chinese Situation Goon morning, General Chiang Kai-shek, With your pigtail cut as short as mine; Good morning, General Chiang Kai- shek, We've arrived across the brine; Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust, China for Chinamen? You've got a crust! Good morning, General Chiang Kai- shek, With your pigtail cut as short as mine. ee # It’s a long way to Kiu-kiang, lads, It’s a long way to go; It's a long way to King-te-chen, lads, And it looks like it might snow. So long, little Chee-Foo, Aw revawr, Ming Toy; And we'll all clean up a_ million dollars From the movie rights—oh, boy! **# # Keep your head down, Sun Yat Sen, Keep your head down, Sun Yat Sen, Last night in the old Chang Sha I saw you, I saw you; You were eating a plate of rats, I could have soaked you right in the slats, If you want to do the laundry for the Mellican men, Keep your head down, Sun Yat Sen. ee # Little Yum-Yum from Fu-kien, Chang Tso-lin, Little Yum-Yum from Fu-kien, Chang Tso-lin, Little Yum-Yum from Fu- kien Cooks foo yong dong for the army men, Hinky-dinky Chang Tso-lin. Henry William Hanemann. A Modern Sire ILLIE’S MOTHER (to Willie’s father, who by the way is a golf enthusiast) : Willie tells me that he caddied for you all afternoon. Witute’s Fatuer: Well, I thought I had seen that boy before! comicbooks.com