Judge — May 4, 1901 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This May 1901 *Judge* cartoon satirizes Western imperial powers' violence in China during the Boxer Rebellion aftermath. The central figure—a brutish, caricatured man labeled "Rising Tide of Extinction"—represents Western aggression. He's surrounded by implements of destruction and war, while refined diplomats observe from the background, seemingly indifferent to the carnage. The title's rhetorical question mocks Western powers' claims to bring Christian civilization to China while engaging in brutal military conquest and exploitation. The cartoon criticizes the hypocrisy of nations justifying imperial intervention through religious and moral rhetoric while committing atrocities. The chaotic scene of destruction contrasts sharply with the composed diplomats, exposing the disconnect between stated principles and actual conduct.