Judge — January 5, 1901 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

**The Cartoon:** The cover depicts Uncle Sam (identifiable by his top hat and stars-and-stripes clothing) surveying a fortified canal construction site with American flags and military presence. A caricatured figure in the foreground appears to represent a foreign power or rival nation. **The Context:** This satirizes American ambitions to build the Nicaragua Canal, a major geopolitical project of the era. The caption "As 'Judge' Wants It" indicates the magazine's editorial position supporting American control of the canal—backed by military force and American financing ("dug with American money, fortified with American guns"). **The Satire:** The cartoon advocates for American imperial expansion and military-enforced dominance over Central American infrastructure, reflecting turn-of-the-century American expansionism.