Judge, 1916-10-07 · page 20 of 32
Judge — October 7, 1916 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page collects satirical cartoons and jokes from European publications, translated for American readers. The humor centers on **World War I soldier life and domestic wartime absurdities**. Key jokes include: - **"After the Accident"**: A policeman (likely referencing a Spanish authority figure) chasing someone - **"What They're Up Against"**: A soldier on leave is pestered by a souvenir-hunter demanding his uniform buttons - **"Beyond a Joke"**: A soldier finds his military billet destroyed, missing his pipe - **"Conjugal Amenities"**: Two Tommies misunderstand "billet doux" (French love letters) as a soft military assignment; the first threatens violence toward his wife - **German and French sections**: Officers complain about trench conditions and lack of civilian comforts (manicures, cocktails) The satire mocks soldiers' frustrations with wartime deprivations, home-front ignorance, and the gap between military reality and domestic life. The international collection suggests shared wartime humor across Allied nations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
After the Accident EL Guardia—A ver! Haya usted el favor de no esconderse Well, do me the favor not to Blanco y Negro (Madrid). Policeman hide from me! What They're Up Against The souvenir-hunter—Please, sir, ‘ave yer pocket-knife on yer? The soldier (home on leave)—Pocket- knife, laddie? Yes. The souvenir-hunter—Well, cut us off one of yer buttons, will yer?—Sketch (London). Irish sergeant—Keep yer head down there! Don't ye know that’s the very place that Mike Rooney was shot through the fut?— Punch (London). Beyond a Joke Tommy (who has returned to find his billet. in ruins) e—wot about blinkin’ pipe!—London Opinion. Conjugal Amenities First Tommy—My wife writes she ‘opes as ‘ow I won't be getting any ‘billet doux.’ Now, wot’s that mean? cond Tommy (proud of his French) — Well, “billet” is a billet, see? and “doux” is soft. Soft job, I take it, she means. First Tommy—Oh! Does she? I'll soft job ’er when I get ’ome.—Passing Show (London). **Weisst du, Kin als ob ich in’ der G: man sicht nichts, aber “Do you know, dear, I have the same impression as though I were sitting behind a lady at the opera: I can see nothing, and yet I see everything.” —Lustige Blactter (Berlin). “Pauvre chou! Tu as du en voir de rides slans leg tranchées ... sans manucure, sins cocktails You must have had a without Le Rire “Poor chap! terrible time in the trenches . . manicure, without cocktails. . . .”” (Paris). comicbooks.