Life, 1928-01-19 · page 14 of 38
Life — January 19, 1928 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces mocking early 20th-century American attitudes: **"Los Senta Café Solo" cartoon**: Shows Americans in Cuba after the Spanish-American War, speaking confidently about giving Cubans "freedom." The caption reveals the hypocrisy—the second patron says "You said it... WAITER!"—suggesting Americans claimed to liberate Cuba while still treating Cubans as servants. **"Preliminaries" dialogue**: A landlord aggressively demands a tenant freeze his apartment to near-lethal temperatures, threatening to make the building "as cold as it never was before." This satirizes excessive cost-cutting during what appears to be a heating fuel shortage. **"Another Tragedy of War"**: A brief joke about a Navy official injured by an exploding magazine article—wordplay on "magazine" (publication vs. ammunition storage). The page satirizes American imperialism, landlord exploitation, and military bureaucracy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
First American: We did a good job when we gave these Cubans their freedom. Seconp Patriot: You said it... WAITER! Preliminaries ELLO, is this you, superintend- s is Mr. Gillis of the second floor. o, the second apartment from the front... .It’s be- ginning to get kind of chilly up here ..1 know you've got the boiler go- ing full blast...No, I turned off the radiators in my room and in the corridor... Yep, and the windows are He: This is where the Battle cf San Juan was fought. Sue: Do you suppose he really was such a devil with the ladies as they say he was? down, too—but I can’t get it cold enough. ..I'm not crazy...You see, I want the temperature in the build- ing forced down as low as it'll go... Now don’t get excited, and listen. .. Stop the boiler, do you hear?...1 want the tenants to freeze. ..Make this building as cold as it never was before...Freeze the pipes if you can...Give that fussy gent next door a taste of real interior refrigeration. ..I want to hear teeth chatter... I want to see icicles congeal- ing on spigots...If you do the job right there shouldn't be a warm spot anywhere... I'll permit you to name your own price. .. Agreed, if you promise to keep us numb and shivering as long as you can...And be- gin right away, will you?... I've got to catch the boat this afternoon for Havana.” Harry Epstein. Another Tragedy of War ULIUS: I notice a high official of the Navy was seri- ously injured. Casar: How? Jutivs: Another magazine article exploded. The Perfume Advertise- ment Writer Composes a Love Letter M CHERIE: (My dear one) I miss you so. How I long for the sight of un peu de vous (a bit of you) and your charme d’amour (charm of love). How I wish I could take you to dinner so that I could be your chevalier de la nuit (cavalier of the night) as we danced and dined together. And would you venez avec moi (come with me) on a long taxi ride? I shall soon give you quelques fleurs (some flowers) and also a party at le théatre (the theatre), and we shall enjoy each other's com- pany. Good-by, dear, I must close. N’aimez que moi (love only me), Je t’adore (I adore you). Henri. (Henry.) GYIRST CUBAN: Why is that man so glum and quict? Seconn Cusan: Oh, that’s just e’s been acting as S ish interpreter to President Coolidge. Cusan YoutH: Go on—you needn't get stuck up just because you got your picture in a travel booklet. comicbooks.com