Judge, 1918-04-27 · page 23 of 36
Judge — April 27, 1918 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The cartoon section labeled "Pretty Proxies" shows six grotesque mask heads and references bayonet practice training. The caption explains these painted wooden heads are meant to replace sandbags used in bayonet drills, supposedly to motivate soldiers ("Rookies") by making the targets resemble enemy faces. This is **WWI-era satire** mocking military training methods. The horrific, dehumanized faces represent the enemy (likely German soldiers), and the joke is darkly cynical: the military believes making practice dummies look like actual people will inspire soldiers to thrust bayonets with more enthusiasm. The grotesque, caricatured nature of the masks—exaggerated features suggesting non-European faces—reflects period racial and ethnic stereotyping common in wartime propaganda. Modern readers should recognize this as both documenting wartime dehumanization tactics and expressing satirical criticism of such brutalization of combat training. The attribution to the *Bystander* (London) confirms this is British wartime commentary on military practices.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
| | | CONSERVATION | Mrs. Wiggs’s Rival—In a South Side street of this city lives a woman who, for optimism and homely philosophy, takes rank with Mrs. Wiggs of the well known and justly famous ‘“‘ Cabbage Patch.” This woman, with her husband and family, was seated at the dinner table one day not long since, when a knock came to the door, and a friend called. “Won't you come in for dinner?” the housewife invited. “Oh, no,” the caller answered, “you have such a large family yourself it would be a shame to put you to extra trouble.” “Oh,” was the cheery reply, ‘one more don’t make a bit of difference. All I have to do is put another cup of water in the stew.” —Youngstown Telegram. Proving Their Patriotism—‘‘Of course we have a family skeleton.” “Well, let’s trot it out. It will be a credit to us now. Shows we are not overeating.”"—Kansas City Journal. He Was Not—“With everything so high, do you think you ought to smoke cigars any longer?” “I’m not, my dear—I’m smoking ‘em shorter.” —Ginger. Catching—Pullct (glancing at nest) Haven’t you forgotten something, ma? Biddy—No, my child, this is eggless day.—-Boston Transcript. Karnaval! st un masque qu'est dans les serpen- “On va lui enooyer des confettis!” “Look! There’s a mask among the serpen- tines.” “Suppose we pelt him with a bit of con- fetti."—La Baionnette (Paris). Pretty Proxies The latest suggestion for increasing the efficiency of bayonet practice. The ordinary sand- bag used for this purpose is a trifle dull, but, surmounted by one of these heads, painted on rood and cut out, it ought to inspire Rookies to put their hearts into their work.—Bystander (London). Where, Oh, Where?—“It’s a mys- tery.” “What is?” “Where all the money that food con- servation is supposed to have saved us has gone to.”—Detroit Free Press. JOURNALISM The Worm Turns—The lady (?) who yesterday called the attention of another to our patched breeches, whereat they both laughed so heartily, is informed that a new pair will be purchased when her husband's bill is settled. It has been duc nearly a year. Don’t criticise a printer’s dress too closely while you are wearing silks with money due him. Tell your husband to send us $20.73 and save the cost of an entire (court) suit.—Swains- boro (Mich.) Forest. Reasoning With the Poets—O, O friends, do not send your home-made poetry to this office and then get mad at us because it is so crude and bum we can- not print it! Don’t do anything that will break up a friendship of long standing! We can’t help it because you can’t write poetry. We never told you that you could.—Reading Searchlight. Second-Hand “Brick"’ Go Same Way—Visitor—I sent you some sugges- tions telling you how to make your paper more interesting. Have you carried out any of my ideas? Editor—Did you meet the office boy with the waste basket as you came up-stairs? Visitor—Yes, yes, I did. Editor—Well, he was,carrying out your ideas.—Detroit Free Press. BOOBS | He Had Company—A Greenwich man tells of a Connecticut farmer who, after having driven a lot of hogs to Greenwich, sold them for precisely what had been offered him before he left home. “You haven’t made much bringing your hogs here,” remarked the man. “Well, no,” replied the agriculturist, dejectedly. “I ain’t made no money, but then you know,” his face brightening, “T had the company of the hogs on the way down.”—Farmers’ Weekly. A Talker—“Bliggins talks about a great many things he doesn’t under- stand.” “Tt’s worse than that. After he talks awhile nobody understands them.”— Washington Star.