Judge — March 9, 1918 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This WWI-era cartoon satirizes military camouflage efforts. A shirtless soldier paints a cow with camouflage patterns using buckets of paint, attempting to disguise the animal for military purposes—likely for transport or supply lines near the front. The satire targets the absurdity of over-applying camouflage logic: while camouflage helps soldiers and equipment blend into landscapes, painting a live cow serves no practical purpose. The joke mocks either excessive military enthusiasm for camouflage techniques or bureaucratic inefficiency during wartime. The title "Camouflaged" (French military term recently adopted by English speakers) emphasizes how the concept had become fashionable but sometimes foolishly applied. This reflects 1918 American attitudes toward contemporary warfare innovations.