Judge, 1917-08-11 · page 20 of 28
Judge — August 11, 1917 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page collects satirical cartoons and jokes from various British and French publications during World War I, all addressing wartime hardships with dark humor. The jokes mock domestic wartime challenges: food rationing and poor appetite, conscription-related anxieties, and the absurdities of maintaining appearances during crisis. One cartoon shows a woman prioritizing her hair over evacuating a torpedoed ship—satirizing vanity amid danger. The French cartoons similarly address naval warfare and rationing. Several jokes play on double meanings: a soldier's photograph "stopping a bullet" becomes a clock-stopping joke; belt-tightening for rationing becomes ambiguous about literal versus figurative action. The final cartoon's caption "We're not little wretches—we're the tanks" likely references newly-deployed tank technology, with children either mistaken for or comparing themselves to this military innovation. These represent *Judge* magazine's satirical approach: using humor to process shared civilian and military wartime anxieties across Allied nations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“It's a pity Alf ain’t ‘ere, Bert; ’e can play the piana_ wonderful.”—Bystander (London). Those Dear Girls The little puss—He wore my photograph over his heart and it stopped the bullet. The cat—I'm not surprised, darling. It would stop a clock.—London Answers. Le veinarat Ila trouvé un lit! son-of-a-gun! He's found a bed!""— Le Dele-Mele (Paris). He—Would you mind if I were to kiss you? She—Well, I’m not one of those con- scientious objectors, if that’s what you mean.—London Opinion. None Seemed to Fit “T’ve tried all kinds of wartime foods, but none of them seems to fit my case.” “What is it you are troubled with?” “An appetite.”—London Answers. —Allons! fuyons! le bateau est torpillé!! ute, mon ami; tu ne voudrais pas que je le pont avec une pareille coiffure!! “Hurry! Flee! The boat is torpedoed!!” “Just a minute, dear; you wouldn’t want me to go on deck with my hair like this!!""— Le Rire (Paris). “T say, mother, isn’t it extravagant of Mrs. Browne-Smythe in these times? She’s had two babies at once.”—Sketch (London). Important Skinner—What are you doing about the rationing? Podmore—Oh when meal-time comes I tighten my belt. Skinner—From the outside or the inside. —Punch (London). “We're not little wretches—we're the tanks!""—Tatler (London).