Judge — September 13, 1902 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon, titled "THE THING," satirizes American intervention in Cuba. The central figure appears to be Uncle Sam (identifiable by his distinctive clothing on the left) presenting a modern automobile labeled "GOVERNMENT" to Cuba, depicted as a tropical landscape with palm trees. The satire critiques U.S. imperial ambitions: America is offering its "modern machine"—its system of government—to Cuba, with the caption's dry humor ("American preferred") suggesting this is being imposed rather than genuinely chosen. The visible book labeled "RESOURCES" implies economic exploitation underlies this supposedly benevolent export. This reflects late 19th or early 20th-century American expansionism, when the U.S. actively intervened in Cuban affairs following the Spanish-American War.