Judge, 1917-09-08 · page 10 of 28
Judge — September 8, 1917 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece mocks excessive homefront patriotism during World War I. Mrs. Clatterby attends a ladies' preparedness meeting where women sign cards pledging various patriotic acts. She enthusiastically commits to knitting cotton pajamas, wearing a flag pin, playing the "Star-Spangled Banner" daily on the victrola, and "agitating preparedness" through constant talk. The humor targets her well-meaning but somewhat performative patriotism—doing visible, easy patriotic gestures while her husband James remains skeptical. The cartoon's absurdist insects and tangled lines suggest the chaotic, overwrought nature of such civilian enthusiasm. The photograph caption's confident claim—"we've got the Bosches on the run!"—contrasts with the war's actual 1917-1918 grimness, adding ironic commentary on how removed civilian boosterism was from battlefield reality. The satire critiques both *performative* patriotism and the social pressure ("slacker" accusation) to demonstrate loyalty through conspicuous displays rather than substantive contribution.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MRS. CLATTERBY By Jk RS. CLATTERBY’S animated expression and a general alertness of manner convinced Clatterby as soon as he reached home that something out of the common had happened and that he would know all about it speedily. With the expression and the resigned note in his voice of a man who feels that the best thing to do is to “have it over with” as soon as maybe, he uttered the one word, “WOULD DO HER BIT” HARBOUR war times and sang ‘America.’ It would be one way of doing our ‘bit.’ I am going to get cach of our children a little flag to wear and wear one mysclf and you ought to wear one. Mrs. Pindle was telling me that her husband is wearing one for a scarf pin and—what? He always was a freak? Well, if you call doing your ‘bit’ and showing patriotism by it being a “Well?” “T have been to a ladies preparedni ing, James, and—and—well, I feel all over it, and so anxious to do my ‘bit,’ as the speaker ¢: sail 2 ¢ must all do our ‘bit id she had cards distributed with a lot of different things to do printed on them, and we marked a cross opposite the things we preferred to do or felt that we could do best. I put a cross next to three of the things but I forget now just what they were. Ido recall that one of them was to agitate preparedness—I think that was what she called it—by constantly talk- ing about it and I felt that I could do that and —what is that? Nothing of any consequence? That is what you always say when you say things you don’t want me to h May I please ask why you say them then? And it seems to me that you show very little enthusiasm about your wife doing her ‘bit’ and showing her patriotism as you do not seem to show it by even hanging out a flag or wearing one as so many men do. Do you want to be called a ‘slacker’? You can if you want to, but your wife does not mean to be called that. She means to do her ‘bit’ in every way possible. Right after the meeting I came home by the stores and bought three pounds of yarn and am going to knit it all up, and I am going to make simple cotton a least two. pairs—and show my loyalty to the beautiful old ‘Stars and Stripes’ in that way—yes_in- deed! I do think, James, that, for the sake of the children if for no other reason, we should get more of a spirit of patriotism into our home. I am going to get a record of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ for our victrola and have it played at least once a day if not oftener, and I think it would be a good thing for the children if we all gathered around the piano once a day in th “You'll not have to wait long now, Honey! we've got the Bosches on the run!” | | | | | comicbooks.com